Saved
by Zara J
Summary: A vampire trapped in a life unwanted yet with no escape, a girl who unknowingly changes it all, saving him, and perhaps saving herself.
1. Change in Uniform

**A/n: Welcome readers, a few things to say before you read.**

**1. If you want a romantic vampire story then here it is. **

**2. I made this up, the only thing that isn't mine and I actually took from the Twilight series are the traits and abilities of vampires, and the existence of the Volturi.**

**SO basically I'm taking a huge risk in posting a story that possibly no one will read, but I would really appreciate it if you gave it a chance!**

The Change in Uniform

I sit at a barred window watching motionlessly as the moon fell and the sun rose, breathing purely from habit. The sun breaks the horizon and I rise nimbly from my plain wooden chair crossing the room in less than a second. I uncap the pen that lays upon the small table under the calendar on the wall, crossing another day off.

The room was barren, aside from the wooden chair at the window and the small table there was almost nothing. A bookshelf in the corner, a wardrobe across from it. There was a plain wooden door leading to the cold white tiled bathroom. The only thing that marked my existence in this room was the four stacks of calendars marking the past years of my death. Each stack held about thirty, the fourth one almost completed, missing only one.

I had been killed on New Years Eve. In five months and nine days I will have been dead for one hundred and twenty years.

I left the room, descending with a frightening grace down the narrow spiral staircase, I walked from the last step to my 'kitchen'. The mahogany cupboards were empty save for the pantry. Behind its door were three side shelves, half of one holding sixteen ounce jars that were filled with my sustenance. A months supply of human blood, delivered two days before the end of each month. It was depleted now, I drank one a day under the orders of the Volturi leaders, I only had ten left.

I spend my death in a guard tower on the outermost skins of the city. I was created because of my ability one hundred and nineteen years ago. Aro had noticed that when I spoke people became enraptured. I had worked for my father, Antonio Moretti, selling his inventions. I would speak, persuading even the least gullible to purchase the most unnecessary products.

I no longer have to speak to do so. I can touch your forehead and let my control seep through your mind, then you were under my command. The particularly weak-minded wouldn't require my touch.

That's why I guard the cities edge. Aro is immaculate when it comes to keeping preying vampires from the city, Volterra is the safest city in the country. That's why I drink from jars, so I can resist temptation. No souls wander out here, and the villagers from the farming town two miles away never drift close to my tower. If someone did, perhaps, one day come near the tower and I hadn't fed I might attack without thought. A suspicious murder or disappearance would attract unwanted attention to a place where no one was supposed to be. So I feed every day, one jar every morning.

I sit on the black leather couch in the small room joined with the kitchen. This room too is bare, a couch, a radio, and one small table that held the small black phone and charger given to me by the Volturi.

I drink from today's jar and the fiery desire that ebbs through my body yearning for blood lightens to a barely noticeable pulse. I get up again and place the now empty jar by the other empty ones, unplugging and turning on the phone as I go by. I was expecting a call from Heidi. She was one of the lead guards of the three Volturi leaders, she always delivered my blood. She should be by in nine days but she always called first in case she was late and I needed to ration my supply.

I glided up the stairwell again, this time taking a side stairwell when I got halfway up. It was a narrow flight, the stone crumbling slightly even beneath my feather light step. I reached the top and opened the door that rested in the stone ceiling, pushing against its wood with one hand and rising through the roof. I walked to the edge of the tower, leaning against the waist high wall notched with age old arrow slots.

I sniffed the air for threats, the morning breeze swept across my face carrying the same stale smells as usual. I listened but heard nothing more than the bugs, animals, and the faint sounds of the distant small village. I lowered myself through the door and returned to my window. Picking up the current book I was reading I flipped it open, at noon I would have to check the surroundings again.

The hours flew past at their usual pace, the day meaning nothing more than any others in my past. Today would be another simple X on my calendar.

I made my check at noon and since I had finished the book within an hour I took my time scanning for threats. One hundred and nineteen years of nothing had made me far less cautious. All vampires aside from newborns knew of the Volturi. Only the suicidal would attempt such a foolish action as attacking the city. I turned my head as another breeze blew slight warmth across my cheek, today would be stifling hot to a human.

This time there was something different in the air. I inhaled deeply my nostrils flaring in alarm, it was a human girl. Her blood was pumping quickly, I could smell its activity. I hurried inside sitting down in my window chair and picking up an already read book. I had never murdered a human with my own hands, I didn't like the temptation. Aro would be furious if I caused a girl to go missing.

Something glinted in the corner of my eye as I opened the book. I turned to look out the window as the human girl emerged into the clearing in front of my tower.

Right away I could tell she wasn't an Italian native. Her hair was a deep auburn and her skin a creamy white. I watched as she paused, she reached up to the music player strapped to her arm. She pushed a button three times then dropped her hand, a slow smile spreading across her face. I heard her laugh as she suddenly spun in a circle. She began to dance around the clearing, her movements surprisingly sinuous for a human. I watched as her copper locks loosened in their restraint, a result of her excessive twirling.

Within minutes I was mesmerized against my will, free to admire without bloodlust since the walls freed me from her scent. Her small shirt that bared her shoulders was tight across her skin, the hem creeping up her flat stomach as she danced. Her almost completely bare legs shone in the afternoon sun.

There was no way she was from Italy. Her clothes were not modest enough to be from the small village and nobody from Volterra would be way out here. She was wearing a tiny blue tank top and shorts that ended only two inches down her thighs. I stared, entranced by how the muscles in her legs absorbed every harsh step or sharp turn. I caught a glimpse of her defined abdominals as she bent herself backwards.

The song obviously ended for her feet came to a halt. I shook myself from my trance and watched as she wiped her brow, sweat glistening on her forehead and hairline. She shook her hair loose from the rubber band that held it and it fell curling to the middle of her shoulders blades.

She pulled it back up into a high bun and leaned down to touch her toes. She appeared to be very flexible, for even with the long elegant legs she had her palms were placed flat on the ground.

She stood up and stretched her arms, studying the tower for the first time. I shied away from the window, it was better if humans thought this place was deserted The girl reached up and pressed the music player's button twice this time before turning and jogging from the clearing the same way she entered.

That evening before I returned to my chair to watch the sun set and the moon rise I made one small dot on the corner of today's date on the calendar.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/n: So that's chapter one, a little taste of my story, I hope you liked it and would really appreciate reviews. I know that this is only barely fan fiction but the idea hit me and I ran with it, please come back for chapter two coming soon!**


	2. The Storm

_**A/n: To all those reading, thank you. **_

_The Storm_

_She came back. For three more days she ran by, pausing to either stretch or dance in the clearing. Then she would look up at my tower with merely curious eyes. I now had four dots on my calendar. _

_By the fifth day I had taken to watching for her, my fascination a mystery to me. I was surprised by the disappointment I felt as I looked at the sky on the fifth day. It was overcast and cloudy; surely she wouldn't be running today. _

_The day only darkened as noon approached, I watched bleakly from my window. I tried to reason with my disappointment. Today would be no different than any other day…yet watching her gave me something to look forward to. _

_Perhaps it was because I was lonely, cut off from all interaction. Heidi was hardly compensation for this death Aro had sentenced me to. Seeing that girl, for some reason, made me feel less alone. I reached for a book and started to flip it opened as I saw a flash of color from the corner of my eye. _

_She was running. She was bundled up in sweats and a sweatshirt, her hair pulled up into a ponytail and a thick headband around her forehead and ears. She didn't stop today; instead she merely glanced up at the tower then turned around to go back. I smiled to myself, my mood brightening an unbelievable amount, for about two seconds. Then the smile slid from existence as thunder rumbled in the sky. I watched out the window anxiously as less than a minute later rain poured from the sky._

_There was absolutely no way she had covered two miles in that time. Surely she would be sick when she got home, that meant no running for quite some time. Frowning despite myself I made the last dot I would probably make for a week on my calendar. _

_It bothered me that a week seemed like so long. It was nothing truly. A week to me was like an hour to a regular human, yet I felt like a week would take forever. Something was wrong with me, I had never even met the girl and I was addicted. I felt like banging my head against a wall to rid the foolish feeling from my head, but I knew I would only end up breaking the wall. _

_Suddenly something began to bang against the tower door. I hadn't heard the phone go off so I knew it couldn't be Heidi, she would have just walked in anyways. I glided downstairs as the second banging knock echoed against the cold stone walls. This time it was accompanied by a voice. _

"_Hello?!" A lilting female voice called in a slight panic, "Is someone there? It's really cold! Please let me in!" _

_My hand paused at the doorknob; I had just realized who it was. It was her, the dancing girl from the clearing; she must have run back here instead of back to the village. I was torn, I desperately wanted to talk to her, to find out why she entranced me the way she did. But, that was what I was scared of, what if I lost myself and killed her. I hadn't smelled fresh blood in so long…it was sure to smell unbearably good. I couldn't risk killing her, not only would the Volturi ring my neck, but I didn't __want _to kill her. I leaned against the door frustrated beyond belief as to why I even needed to argue this, I should just pretend I wasn't here. Yet as her voice rang out again the argument resumed.

"Hello?" Her voice chimed again. It was a sweet sound; it felt warm as it flowed into my ears. I sighed inwardly; it must be loneliness that was heightening these emotions, that was it, nothing more than loneliness. "I really am freezing here! Uhh…crap…tu hablas español?" I smiled, laughter floating to my mouth, I just barely held it in. She obviously wasn't from here if she thought Italians spoke Spanish. The smile fell as I heard her teeth chattering together through the door, I gripped the doorknob again but my hesitation remained.

"Ah! Shit! It's hailing!! Please open up! Sir? Mister? Ma'am?" That was it, all hesitation gone I swung the door in quickly, foolishly looking into her eyes. I was instantly captivated of course, damn loneliness. I was staring blatantly, they were so clear, the palest blue I had ever seen, almost white. They were frames by dark auburn eyelashes just a slight shade darker than the curls that stuck to her wet cheeks, her perfectly pouted lips were slightly blue.

"Uh….hi…can I…well…come in?" She finally spoke, shivering as her gaze shifted down awkwardly. I refocused my gaze to the weather outside and sure enough it was hailing. I stepped aside and she quickly stepped through the doorway. Shutting the door firmly I turned to look at her again.

She had her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she shivered, she was thoroughly soaked. "So, hi. I'm Ayanna…thanks for letting me in." She smiled extending her hand for me to shake.

"Garrett." I told her my name but just looked at her hand warily; I didn't want to risk harming her.

"Okay…" She withdrew her hand raising her eyebrows slightly, "So you do speak English then?"

"Quite fluently."

"Right on…." She chewed on her lip for a moment before she thought of something to say, "So, you're not what I was expecting."

I looked at her curiously, "You were expecting someone?"

A violent shiver wracked through her body and I tried to move away without her noticing, moving out of the entry hall and into the small room with the couch, motioning for her to follow.

"Well, most of the villagers, you know from that little town, they think that some old hermit geezer lives here since you are so unsocial." She stood at the edge of the room as I walked to lean against the kitchen counter.

"I have…duties." I watched as another question formed on her lips. It was stilled by yet another shudder that left her teeth chattering.

"I'm sorry to be rude but do you think I could use a blanket, my clothes are soaked through."

I nodded once, "Sit down, I'll be right back." She smiled shyly and hesitantly shuffled forward as I 'jogged' at a painstakingly slow human pace up the stairs. As I reached my room I suddenly realized that I owned no blankets. I searched for something to keep her warm, anything really, I was anxious to get back down there. Was this worry? Worry that had me breathing hard despite the fact that I didn't really need to breathe at all. I shook my head and opened the wardrobe, grabbing the warmest clothes I could find.

As I ran downstairs she was awkwardly standing by the couch. I walked to her and handed her a pair of cotton sweats, a t-shirt and my grey wool Volturi cloak.

"Oh…okay…uh where can I change?"

"Here," I walked into the kitchen and turned the corner leaning against the counter that was hidden from the living room's view as I listened to her changing. I could hear the wet material being peeled from her skin and her gasp when her wet skin came in contact with the cool air. The hurried rush of dry clothing rustling against her body came next, it stopped and I knew she was dressed, but I waited.

"Uh…okay." She called louder than necessary, but she didn't know that. I walked back into the room and almost laughed. My clothes were ridiculously large on her slender frame. She was, by no means, short. At least 5'11" but I was 6'3" and much thicker, the clothes hung on her.

I handed her a towel I had grabbed from the kitchen, "Here, for your hair." I said picking up her clothes carefully holding my breath, "I'll get these dry."

She nodded gratefully and began to dry her hair. I walked to the staircase but didn't go up; instead I opened the door that was embedded in the floor. I threw the clothes into the washer fighting a human pace so I wouldn't get back too soon. She was running her fingers through her now only slightly damp hair, already beginning to curl. She shivered a little, goose bumps rising on the pale skin of her arm.

"Put on the cloak." I suggested, she glanced up, startled.

"Oh, right." She picked up the heavy material a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, "Uhh…why do you have this?" She giggled wrapping it around her shoulders; it hung inches past her bare feet.

I couldn't help but smile, "It's my…uniform."

"For what? You said you were working…but for what?"

"The…the Royal Guard."

"Right…but your alone…way out here…what good is that?" She was fighting laughter.

"I watch for threats…it isn't a hard job, not much effort."

She grinned, "I suppose it wouldn't. Hey, do you mind if I sit down?"

I gestured to the couch and she didn't hesitate in sitting down. She curled her legs up and wrapped the gray cloak tightly around her hiding everything but her head. Silence consumed the room. I was studying her and she was studying the room, after a few minutes of this her eyes shifted to me, staring at me with those white blue eyes, not speaking.

I cleared my throat unnecessarily, "So, why is it that you run?"

"You've seen me?" She asked, I nodded and she laughed, "You must think I'm insane! Stopping and dancing like I do." Her laughter echoed against the stone walls and I couldn't help but smile in reaction. "I run because I need to stay in shape."

"For?"

"Dancing of course, that's why I was dancing in the first place. The little clearing out there, it's perfect, so peaceful, green, and beautiful. Plus, it wasn't until last night that I even heard there was someone…or rather something, according to the villagers, up here." She was smiling at me, a very soft smile.

"So today, even if it had been sunny, you would not have danced?" I couldn't tear my eyes away from that smile.

Her lips split into a very white toothed grin, "No, I still would have. The villagers were all spouting ridiculous rumors about things like ghosts and such. The most believable one was about an old hermit."

My eyes closed for a moment as I smiled, laughing internally at the unknown irony of that statement, "I'm not a hermit by choice."

If only I could stop watching that smile, "Right, duty calls of course, but you are definantly not old." She smirked and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before tucking her hand back under the cloak.

"_That's what she thinks." _I smirked to myself.

"I'm half tempted to tell them that I met the so called 'ghost' when the storm stops." She giggled to herself.

I stopped smiling, "Actually if you don't mind I would prefer you to not say anything about me. If this place is avoided…it makes my job a little easier."

She blinked a few times, "Oh…oh right, no of course. No problem, they are very curious, seriously they never stop asking questions."

"About you? I assume that means that you're not from around here." I was unnaturally curious about her.

"Nope, I'm on a foreign exchange trip…well of some sort, I'm from New York, in the United States." She flashed those white teeth.

"Ah, an American…" I acknowledged, her running clothes now made perfect sense.

"Yep, I know, us goddamn pushy yankees." She rolled her eyes and smirked, I blinked in surprise.

"No! No that's not at all what I meant, I don't think you're pushy, I mean you're the only American I've ever met." The words spouted from my mouth in an unexplainable panic.

She stared at me with wide eyes for a moment then she burst out in laughter. She buried the face into the cloak trying to muffle the light sounds as it bounced throughout the room. I grinned without reason, straightening my face as soon as I realized it, her laughter seemed to be contagious.

Finally the shaking in her shoulders stopped and her face lifted from the cloak. She was flushed lightly in the cheeks, a result from the lack of air, "I was joking with the yankee comment, but the expression on your face was so hilarious, sorry about that. Truthfully though, I am pushy, far more than is healthy." She laughed lightly, seemingly undisturbed by admitting a flaw.

I smiled sheepishly and glanced up at the clock, "Oh…would you excuse me for a moment?" I had to check the surroundings again.

She shrugged and curled up tighter upon herself. I walked at a human place out of the room and sprinted upstairs. I stepped onto the roof to be assaulted by hail, it didn't bother me, it simply shattered on contact. I scanned the land as quickly as I could while being thorough and then dashed back downstairs.

She was standing as I reentered the room adjusting the cloak on her shoulders, she smiled up at me. The wool garment was doing its job, I had given it to her to help nullify her scent. I smiled in return but froze at her frown. She stepped towards me and I felt my eyes widen in helpless panic. I could smell her more clearly with each step, she stopped one step away from me and I gulped. She smelled of heated vanilla blended with just the right amount of brown sugar.

She looked at my face strangely, "Are you okay?…Uh…sorry, I was just gonna get…" She reached up and brushed hail fragments from my shoulder, "that…" She backed away quickly, "I didn't mean to scare you or anything."

I resisted the urge to draw in a gasping deep breath of stale air now that her intoxicating scent was once again dulled, "It's quite all right, I was just startled." I managed.

"Well…yea, weird how it was still frozen though." She looked thoroughly puzzled by my behavior. I silently cursed myself for not brushing my shoulders off before hand, it had stayed frozen on my ice cold shoulder. "Why'd you go outside anyways?" She curled back up on the couch shuddering at the feel of cool leather on her bare feet.

"I had to check."

"For what? Oh, you mean like scan the forest for bad guys?" She snickered, "Sorry but that can't be very effective, you can only see the tops of the trees…that's just fricken dumb, you need to get radar or something." She rolled her eyes and laughed, "They must not be scared of a serious threat."

I made no comment other than a smile, I couldn't let her in on anything, even on accident. We fell into silence again and after a few moments I heard her stomach growl loudly. I looked up at her as she shot a stern almost reprimanding glare at her abdomen. She met my smile with an apologetic look.

"I guess I'm hungry." She shrugged, "And the hail hasn't stopped yet…"

"It should stop within an hour or so, the clouds did not look quite as dark as before when I was out." I replied.

"…Okay…" She said slowly then began to chew on her lip in what I could only assume was boredom. It dawned on me after a moment that a proper human host would have offered her something to eat. But, I had no food. There was absolutely no chance I was giving her blood, that was a simply disgusting notion. There was nothing for me to do.

Unfortunately I couldn't avoid it either, "Uhh do you think I could get a drink or something?" She spoke up just a few moments later.

How could I deny that, she had been out for hours and water was vital for human survival.

"Yes…I'll just…hold on." I stumbled over my words as I hurried from the room. My head was abuzz, what could I do? If I went to the kitchen all I could get was blood…the tap worked but what could she drink out of. "If I wash a jar I can take it outside and collect rainwater I suppose." I muttered aloud to myself as I paced the small entry way. But, what if the water was carrying some sort of disease. I did not want her to get sick…But why should I care? I was a vampire after all, I should tell her to leave, to not bother me again. I should be the cruel horrific monster that I was supposed to be.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. I couldn't just kick her out in this weather. Why was this girl doing this to me…what was going on?

I walked back into the room, "I'm all out of bottled water, sor-" I stopped when I realized that I was talking to an empty couch. My eyes swept the room in alarm. I felt instant relief and yet triple the panic when she fell into my line of sight. She was standing in the kitchen…about to open my pantry…the one with all the blood.

**A/n: Sorry about any grammar mistakes, it's late and I don't proofread well when sleepy lol. Thanks for reading and I'm not ashamed to beg, please please please REVIEW!! :D **


	3. Internal Confusion

_**A/n: since it's been too long since my last update, previously :**_

_I walked back into the room, "I'm all out of bottled water, sor-" I stopped when I realized that I was talking to an empty couch. My eyes swept the room in alarm. I felt instant relief and yet triple the panic when she fell into my line of sight. She was standing in the kitchen…about to open my pantry…the one with all the blood._

_Internal Confusion_

_I cursed the wretched human pace I was forced to keep as I crossed the room watching her hand as it opened the door, finally I reached her as she was reaching for a jar. _

"_What are you doing?" My voice was strained, barely above a growl. _

_She jumped noticeably, turning to meet my gaze with startled eyes, "Oh jeez! You scared the crap out of me!" She giggled slightly but the sound was off, different from before, almost as if she was nervous of something, I suddenly wondered what my expression looked like. _

_I smoothed my expression and unclenched my jaw, I couldn't shake the tension from my shoulders though, "What are you doing?" I asked again, relieved that my voice was calmer. _

"_I didn't even hear you come over here, that's hella creepy." She shook her head, "Anyway you were taking way long, and I am seriously parched, my throat is insanely dry, so even though I know it's rude, I was looking for a cup, but all you had was those jars. Why is that? I mean all of your cupboards are empty, no food nothing…how come?_

_I stared at her with wide-eyes, how on earth could I answer that? "I-I ran out." I lied quickly, I couldn't believe I had been distracted to the point that I didn't hear her opening the cupboards. _

_One of her eyebrows arched, "You're out…out of food…yea okay…why didn't you go shopping __before _you ran out, that would have been the _smart _thing to do." She smirked at me.

"My food is delivered monthly." I explained, I wanted her out of the pantry doorway so I could close the door.

"So…call them or something, you're gonna starve! You can't live off of this soup stuff." She gestured at the jars.

"I've taken care of it." I said, hesitantly reaching up and gripping her upper arm through the cloak, it was thin but I could feel that she was toned and in shape. I pulled her away, carefully keeping my grip loose as I closed the pantry door.

"Wow! Your hands are cold." She said as I released her arm, I cursed myself, amazed that she had felt that through the cloak. "Why don't you go put on a sweatshirt or something?" Her eyes were wide with slight concern.

"I'm fine, about the water-" She cut me off.

"It's fine I'll drink from the faucet." She shrugged, unconcerned, "Seriously though, why don't you have anything but jars?"

"I use disposable materials." I answered pressing myself firmly to the wall as she slid by me. I closed my eyes as I smelled her hair, she did indeed have an intoxicating scent.

"Except for when you eat tomato soup…" She carried an expression that resembled a mix between skepticism and amusement.

"No…it is a…vitamin blend, I need it to survive, one jar a day." I mixed the truth with a lie, praying she wouldn't see right through the weak story.

"Yet they let you be a guard…huh…do have a disease or something?"

"You could call it a form of hemophilia." I smirked to myself.

She stared at me in complete amazement, "And, you're in the army! Jeez, what happens if you have to fight and get cut or something?" I watched as she twisted her hair in her hands, pulling it out of her face as she turned on the faucet.

"I had no say in my joining." I explained, suddenly wondering if I had said to much already.

She leaned forward and sipped at the flowing water, I bit my cheek as her full lips caught the stream and her appetizing throat swallowed. My jaw clenched as she straightened and licked the remaining droplets from her lips.

"That sucks, you got drafted, when do you get out?" She asked, oblivious to my hunger, I blinked a few times to regain my scattered train of thought.

"Uh…I-I don't" I stumbled over my words as I summoned control.

"Never?!" She exclaimed, her shocked voice finally allowing me to compose myself. "Isn't Italy a fricken free country?! What the hell! That is so wrong! You're like, what, twenty, that's a hell of a long time!"

Her outrage surprised me, "Yes, I'm nineteen, it will be a long time indeed."

"Well, I don't know how you're so calm, I'd be pissed." She pursed her lips and made her way back to the couch, "Hey did the rain stop, it's really quiet now."

"I'll check." I once again left the room and opened the door. I was met with a quickly approaching sunset and the smell of damp earth. I walked back through the room nodding at her inquiring face and came back a moment later with her dry clothes.

She was pulling on her socks and looked up when I set the clothes beside her, she smiled at me brightly, "Thank you so much, you've been really sweet."

I nodded and turned away quickly, confused by the odd feeling in my chest, "I'll leave so you can change." As I leaned against the kitchen wall I puzzled over her words. Why had I felt like staring at the floor when she had called me sweet?

Moments later she walked into the kitchen with my clothes setting them on the counter before turning to me, "Thanks again, I'm gonna go now, before the family I'm staying with decides to send out a search party."

"It's almost dark, I'll walk you back." Shock coursed through me as the words fell from my lips. Had I really just volunteered to spend more time with someone so tempting? Not to mention the trouble I would get in if I was caught leaving my post.

"Oh…you don't have to, thanks for everything, it's nice of you to offer but unnecessary, really." The shock was apparently clear on my face.

"I'll take you." I repeated, my shock deepening, "_Where did that come from!?" _I wondered.

"You don't look like you want to actually, I know this whole afternoon was crazy awkward so it's no problem, I'll go by myself." She was biting her lip, as if she was trying not to laugh.

I paused briefly, I really shouldn't, she did smell extraordinarily tantalizing now that the cloak didn't hide her scent. But it was a dark forest out there, and she would be safer with me…for some inexplicable reason, I wanted her safe. "I'm sorry, I'm simply not used to talking with people so much, I was unsure whether or not you would allow me to accompany you.

"Well…" She looked down chewing on her cheek, "I would feel safer…if you're sure you don't mind…" She looked uneasy about the request.

"Let's go then." I was grinning as I accepted, it felt like the right choice. She looked up and met my smiling gaze. I heard her stop breathing as her eyes locked onto my face. The smile slowly slipped and my gaze flickered away.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw her start. She inhaled deeply and I suddenly smelled a rush of blood. Looking back at her I saw her cheeks stained a light pink.

"Sorry…" She muttered, "I…uh…well never mind."

"Okay." I cleared my throat and shifted my feet trying to dispel the nervous feeling that had settled inside of me. "Let's get you back."

"Yea." She smiled uncomfortably and followed me to the door. I opened the door for her and gestured for her to go first.

At that she laughed, "What?" I asked as she attempted to muffle her giggles.

"Sorry, I just had the sudden urge to curtsy when you did that." She grinned, all awkwardness gone.

I smiled slightly, "Not necessary I assure you."

"Yea…but I think I'm gonna do it anyway!" She giggled again and stepped forward, fighting laughter as she pulled out the corners to an imaginary skirt and bent her knees in an elegant curtsy. "Why thank you good sir!" She chirped through barely restrained laughter.

I couldn't help but play along, "Why of course kind lady." I replied bowing my head and tipping an imaginary hat. That did it. Her laughter broke forth and she tipped her head back as she laughed. I couldn't help it, I laughed too, watching her as she clutched her sides.

"Oh jeez, my eyes are starting to water!" She grinned as she walked past me into the cool night air. "Mmm, doesn't it smell amazing after it rains? Well, here at least." She murmured as she inhaled deeply, "New York smells foul when it rains, actually…it pretty much stinks all the time."

"I suppose it does smell nice out here." I said as we began walking side by side away from the clearing, I was suddenly very conscious of our surroundings.

"So, have you always lived around here?" She asked suddenly, looking up at me curiously.

"No, I lived in a very small town on the border between France and Italy."

"Then how the hell did the draft thing find you?"

I smiled slightly, "That really bothers you doesn't it?"

"Uh, yea! There has to be some sort of…oh I don't know a right or something that says you can't be forced into the military for life." She pursed her lips again, "It's just so wrong…but you must be one hell of a soldier."

"Some think so."

"How do you manage?" Her voice turned soft and I looked at her to see her now openly amazed expression.

"Manage what?" I asked, confused.

"You're alone…I mean, all the time, doing an involuntary job on top of that…don't you get lonely?"

I hesitated, unsure of how to answer that, "Sometimes…but you learn to deal with it, it's quite amazing what one can become accustomed to."

"And, you still manage to be so sweet." She smiled looking forward again, for a moment I let myself admire how her almost incandescently blue eyes were sparkling from the moonlight.

She suddenly shivered and wrapped her arms around herself tightly. I mentally cursed myself for not bringing the cloak along with me. I slid a step away to remove my own freezing body temperature from the cold atmosphere.

She looked at me oddly but made no comment, simply tucking her hands under her arms. We walked in silence after that, strangely enough it wasn't awkward, it was a peaceful and content silence that encased us as we drifted off to our separate worlds of thought.

After about fifteen minutes dim lights from the windows of houses leaked through the trees. Within a minute she saw it as well and walked to the fringe of the forest before turning to me.

"So…thanks…again." She smiled, "It was really nice to meet you."

"It was no problem…you won't tell anybody, right?"

"Oh, no!" She grinned mischievously, "I met the ghost." She winked and I smiled.

"Goodbye then." I said.

"Yea, later." She smiled as she walked through the trees, looking back only once with a curious expression before disappearing.

I stood there for a moment before I realized that I was standing in the middle of the forest by myself. Finally returning to my normal speed, I made it back to my tower in seconds walking in quickly.

Her smell still lingered in the hall and front room, like a shadow of something sweet. I sat on the couch next to where she had been earlier that afternoon, frowning at the now empty space. It seemed oddly unreal, and as soon as her scent dissipated it would surely cease to be more than a faint dream.

Shaking myself from the daze I went to the kitchen and scooped up the clothes she had worn, sending myself right back into the daze. Her scent was powerful on the cloth and before I realized it I had buried my nose in them.

The smell was unbelievably alluring and my senses went crazy with blood lust, but there was something that kept me planted firmly in place. Something that kept me from running to the village and biting down on that creamy throat, what was it…this odd feeling.

I puzzled with myself as I wrenched my face from the cloth. What was it that had kept her safe from me today, despite her strong scent, that had told me to keep her safe despite the risks. This something that had made me feel embarrassed and pleased when she called me sweet or had complimented me. Something that made me admire her, not as food but as a living being.

Something that caused my chest to ache a little, that made me watch for her every afternoon and laugh whenever she had. I hadn't felt this in the entire span of my death. A suspicion nagged at my mind but I forced it away, it couldn't be…could it?

Another deep inhalation of her confirmed it. I dropped the clothes in a panic. How could I lust after a human? A girl who couldn't be over eighteen, whom I had only met once. It wasn't possible, I wouldn't allow it. Perhaps it was loneliness that spurred it…but then, why did I not lust for Heidi when she delivered my food each month?

I banned the wonders from my mind with a vicious shake of my head. It didn't matter anyway, I would never act on such a foolish impulse.

I sighed aloud, the quiet noise bouncing from the walls like Ayanna's laugh had earlier, this sound was sad though and I growled at the involuntary pang of sadness.

I glared at the pile of clothes on the floor at my feet, silently cursing myself for this unwanted desire. My mind and body did not want to listen, a sudden mental image of her long legs in those small shorts made my breath catch. I growled again and snatched the clothes from the ground, flying to the washing machine and throwing them in, closing the lid with an earsplitting bang. I trudged from the room already losing the battle with myself.

I made to go up the stairs but paused as my eye caught sight of my cloak, still lying on the counter. I clenched my jaw, determined to not be overtaken as I approached. My brief fit of self frustration was almost passed now, and I was able to look upon the cloak with resignation.

Defeated, I picked it up and carried it to my room. The scent on it was strong, but not nearly as overpowering as on the clothes that had actually touched her skin. I folded it and lay it on the table beneath the calendar.

Instead of dotting the day as I had all the other days I had seen her, I colored it in completely black. Marking the day I met her, the day that, unbeknownst to me, would alter my death forever.


	4. Ayanna

**A/n: Sorry about the update delay, enjoy!**

**Ayanna**

I woke up and stretched in the uncomfortable twin bed. I slid my feet to the ground and yawned as they met the cool wood floor. Half stumbling I made my way over to the small vanity mirror and rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes as I picked up my hairbrush.

Dragging it through my knotted red curls I studied my appearance. How I managed to be in complete sunshine for a week and still have pale skin was a mystery to me.

"Damn sunscreen." I muttered, setting my brush down and reaching for the bottle of SPF 30 Banana Boat. "No, actually, damn freckles." If it wasn't for the freakish amount of freckles I would get, I wouldn't bother wearing the crap.

Slipping on some socks I walked to the kitchen where my nose detected breakfast. Sure enough Maria, the mother in the house I was staying in, was slicing up ripe, fresh fruit, filling the room with its sweet fragrance.

"Is you Ayanna?" Maria asked as I shuffled into the room.

"Yea, morning." I replied, leaning against the counter across from her.

She glanced up with a smile that quickly gave way to shock, "You where revealing clothes!"

I rolled my eyes and smiled. Every morning I came to the kitchen in my baggy flannel pants and a spaghetti strap tank top. Every morning she acted surprised.

"You cover up, yes?" She asked with her Italian accented English. She reached forward, tugging on my shirt, trying to yank it up to my neck.

"Where I live this isn't revealing at all." I laughed and gently pulled her hands from my shirt.

"And if seen?"

I shrugged, "So, I run with less clothing."

She pursed her lips, "Yes, stop too."

"It's fine Maria, I don't care if I'm seen." I snagged a strawberry from the platter and bit into it.

"But, you attract bad attention, no?"

"From where?" I snorted, "There's no one bad around here! Besides I grew up in Westside New York, I can handle myself." She frowned at me and I gave her a innocent smile, "I promise!"

"We care for you while here!" A voice boomed from across the room as the back door opened.

"Morning Andreas." I greeted Maria's husband, he had returned from feeding his livestock.

"Who needs to be taken care of?" Their eighteen year old son followed his father in.

"Morning to you too Mario, me apparently." I grinned at him.

"You didn't stop wearing those clothes, did you?" He gazed at me sternly before winking at me.

He'd been out of this village, he had attended a private school in a large city, he understood. "I know, I know." I looked down, pretending to be abashed, "I'll go change." I walked away slowly in playful defeat hearing his loud laughter behind me.

I did change; I pulled on some low rise jeans and my Nike running shoes, topped with a white wife beater tank top. Rushing through my fruit breakfast, I headed out to town. I had a plan to carry out.

Two hours later I started out on my jogging trail, laden with a huge shoulder bag and a box. With a sigh I trudged through the forest, sweating like nobody's business in less than ten minutes.

"AGHHH!" I shouted at the sky, how on earth could it be so freezing cold one day to blistering hot the next?! "If I was running, I'd be there by now." I grumbled, sweaty and tired. My shirt was becoming sticky on my back and my hair was damp on my forehead and neck. Despite my whining, I really didn't mind, I was anxious to see him again. He was like a modern day Adonis, I definantly wanted to make sure yesterday was real.

Finally I broke into the clearing, sighing with relief. I walked to the door of mystery man's tower and bit my lip, realizing I had no way to knock with my hands full. I could kick it, but that would probably hurt my foot. I settled for yelling and praying he would hear my through the thick wooden door.

"GARRETT!" I shouted, leaning back slightly in case he was upstairs. "HELLLOOO?" I sighed and inhaled again. I knew he was in there, he wasn't supposed to leave…right?...

"YO ADONIS!" I screamed just as the door opened to his amused and slightly shocked face.

I grinned, "Good afternoon." He greeted me, "Who is Adonis?"

"You." I answered, walking past him as he motioned me inside. I headed straight for the kitchen, setting the box down and relieving my shoulder of the weight of the bag. I sighed and rolled my shoulders, cracking my back as I arched.

"Adonis is the name of a god." He said, his voice sounded confused. I turned to meet his eyes, the red color entrancing in a frightening yet beautiful way.

"Exactly," I smirked, "Don't you own a mirror?"

"Yes." He answered my teasing seriously and I rolled my eyes. Turning to the box and the bag I pulled my hair up into a high bun before unpacking them.

"I am the furthest thing from a god." I glanced over my shoulder to see him frowning at me, or at himself, I couldn't really tell.

Regardless I couldn't help but laugh, "Um, not only do you look the part, but you pretty much act the part from what I can tell."

"How so?"

"You stay out of the public eye while protecting the citizens of your domain, all without complaint." I turned to flash him a smug smile.

He blinked a few times, as if absorbing my words, and then he scoffed, "No."

"Yes." I retorted, "But, I'm not gonna argue with you, my nickname, my rules." I grinned.

This time he rolled his eyes and slowly approached me as I continued my task. He studied the quickly filling counter before me. Leaning across, his shirt grazed my arm as he picked up a head of lettuce. He seemed unaware so I fought the gasp that threatened to escape as I smelled whatever he had on the carried such a delicious aroma.

"What is all this?"

"Duh, it's food; you can't live on tomato soup my friend."

His eyes flashed to mine, and I blushed, once again speaking without thinking, same old me. After all, how could we be friends after one day? I cleared my throat and opened one of the cupboards, placing a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter on a shelf.

"You shouldn't have done this." He spoke again.

"I just couldn't get over the idea of you living on tomato soup, vitamin enhanced or not." I arched an eyebrow in his direction.

"I told you I was getting food."

"Yea well relax; I only brought enough for a few days, three tops, no worries." I shrugged as I slipped past him to put the tomatoes and carrots in the fridge. I slid back past him, careful not to touch him so I wouldn't slip up and do something stupid, like oh I don't know…maybe kissing him.

"I brought these too; I didn't see any utensils with your soup so I didn't know." I threw three baggies of forks, knives and spoons into a drawer. I turned around and faced him, placing my hands on my hips and smiling, "There, all set." I laughed, suddenly feeling like a mom sending her kid off to college.

A grin pulled at his perfect lips, "What?"

"Nothing, I just suddenly felt around thirty years old, all mother like."

"Don't worry, you look nothing like it." He continued to smile.

I felt a light blush tinge my cheeks, "I hope not, I'm only seventeen after all." I laughed, embarrassed by the way he was looking at me. Maybe it was my imagination, but it looked a little admiring…I hoped it wasn't my imagination.

"You are still in school?"

"No, I graduated in June, I started school a little earlier than other kids." I lifted myself up so I was sitting on his counter. I was still hot, I had no idea how he wasn't sweltering in those jeans and long sleeve shirt. It was then that I noticed how that shirt clung to him. I knew I was probably staring, but damn, he was in shape.

In my peripheral vision I saw him look at me oddly, but I couldn't tear my focus away from his chest. "What are you here for?" He cleared his throat.

I blinked a few times, ripping my eyes away and turning a deep red. "I came to bring you food."

He chuckled, "I meant, why are you in Italy?"

"Oh! Well the school that I go to was sponsoring the trip and I figured I might as well jump at the chance to see somewhere other than New York while I have the opportunity." I had regained myself enough to look back at him, back into those red eyes framed my midnight black hair.

His eyes looked like they had the ability to be sinister, but…his were lonely, and oddly gentle. "I see." He nodded, but held my gaze. My stomach began to twist, it wasn't normal to make eye contact for this long. I couldn't break it, I was forced to watch as his eyes seemed to turn a shade darker and the gentleness disappeared, giving way to hunger. It didn't look like a good hunger. I could hear my heart thud in my ears as he took a slow strained step towards me.

I forced myself to speak, "H-have you e-ever been t-to a foreign c-country?" I finally stammered. My voice broke through the tense silence and he took two quick steps back, his jaw clenched and eyes tortured.

"No." He finally forced past clenched teeth. I climbed down and stepped away from the counter slowly.

"I'll just go…okay?" I was slightly scared; I edged slowly away from him.

"Yes, that's probably a good idea." He had his head in his hands now. His fingers were clenched in his hair and his body was rigid as he glared at the floor. I really felt like I should pat him on the shoulder and tell him it was okay or to calm down…but that look that had been in his eyes…my heart hadn't calmed down yet.

I was by the edge of his living room now. He hadn't moved, it didn't look like he was alive, not even his chest moved with breath.

"I'm sorry." I whispered before turning and hurriedly walking out the front door, '_what the hell was that?!' _My mind went into instant overdrive.

(POV change to Garrett!)

I heard her, "I'm sorry," whispered as she moved, frightened, away from me. I waited ten minutes in my unmoving position before I lifted my head and dared to take a breath again. Her scent was still fresh, sweetly dancing in the air around me.

I felt horrible, a terrible sickness twisting in my stomach as the full impact of what had almost happened hit me. I had known the risks yet still allowed myself to sit next to her and indulge myself in her unique aroma. Anger soon joined the guilt; it irritated me that she had blamed herself. She didn't know, it wasn't her fault I was a disgusting blood lusting beast.

I sighed and rolled my neck to try and relieve some tension. Looking around the kitchen I immediately noticed her shoulder bag, still lying on the counter.

I stared at it for a few moments, quickly making up my mind. I ran upstairs and carefully unfolded my cloak, sliding it onto my shoulders and immersing myself in her scent. Tomorrow I would give her the bag…and apologize.

**A/n: The next chapter is written, I hope to have it up soon, please review! **


	5. Leaving

**A/n: It's been a while since I updated but this chapter is long, enjoy!**

**Leaving**

I stared at the door, wiping my sweating palms on my jean shorts. I couldn't believe I was being such an idiot, even after what ever the strangeness was from yesterday, here I was back at his door.

Inhaling deeply I walked forward trying to keep my cool, despite myself, my heart was thudding. I couldn't tell whether it was nerves or fear but my fist stopped before it made contact with the door. I gulped and raised my fist again.

"Can you be helped?" I shrieked in panic as a fluttery female voice broke the clearing's silence right behind me. My heart was thudding anymore, it had stopped. "What do you need from this place?" The voice came again.

I turned to look at the woman, but I couldn't see her face, she was swathed in a cloak similar to Garrett's, just a shade darker. I couldn't stop my feet, I took an unsteady step backward but instead of hitting the door I ran into something cold. I jumped again and spun once more to find myself looking up at Garrett standing in the shadow of the doorway.

"Why did you- ah, Heidi, you're here." His voice shifted from concern to ice in less than a second.

"Who are you?" She snapped at me, ignoring Garrett completely.

"I-I…I…" I couldn't speak, I inhaled, attempting to calm myself, but there was something truly eerie about this woman.

"Who. Are. You?" She snarled, stepping forward, her features now visible in the shadows of her hood.

I gasped, her features had to be the most beautiful I've ever seen. Her eyes were an odd violet, almost as strange as Garrett's red.

"Heidi, stop please." He whispered from behind me, it wasn't a pleading whisper, rather a soothing whisper directed at me.

"What have you done?! How dare you!" She snapped, this time at him, her eyes however were fixed upon mine, I was frozen in place. I felt his hands gently grip my waist and he shifted me to the side, his own body slightly blocking mine. The eye contact was broken and I blinked hurriedly a few times.

"She doesn't know." He murmured.

"You have risked everything!" She growled, her voice low and menacing, her glare shifted to me again, "Leave! Now!"

I stumbled as I quickly went around Garrett, "I-I'm sorry, I d-didn't mean any harm." I turned and sprinted out of the clearing.

POV change

"I'll give her two minutes so you won't have to watch me kill her." Heidi watched Ayanna's fleeing figure.

"No!" I growled, my tone surprising me. I inhaled, calming down, "She didn't do anything."

"She knows you're here."

"She won't tell anybody, she leaves for her own country soon." I glared; I couldn't let her kill Ayanna.

"How did she find you?" Heidi turned to scrutinize my face.

"It was the day of the storm, she would have fallen ill, so I let her in."

"And? One less nosy human here only for our temptation." Heidi's frown spread into a malicious grin.

"Don't kill her." I snarled.

"You are my subordinate." She laughed and turned to chase after Ayanna.

Without thinking I grabbed her arm and spun her around, pressing my palm against her forehead, instantly taking control of her mind.

"You will not harm her; you will go back to Volterra and not mention a word of what you saw." I released her and her eyes clouded.

"Yes." She walked away at a human pace. I was breathing hard; I would be killed if I didn't leave now. But, if I left…they would kill Ayanna. That left me one choice, I was leaving, and Ayanna was coming with me.

o0o0o0o

That evening I left my tower for the last time. I brought only a spare change of clothes, my cloak, six jars of blood, food for Ayanna, and my two favorite books. I took off down the path, knowing that Heidi was reaching Volterra right now, her human pace, granting me time.

Within seconds I reached the village, thankfully it was late enough that everyone was inside, I crept around the perimeter until I found the core of Ayanna's scent. She was in the back room, the only room with the light on.

"Perfect." I muttered, at her window and inside before she could look up. As she saw me her eyes widened and she tugged her headphones out of her ears.

"What on earth are you doing here?!" She hissed, getting up and closing the cracked door, "Everyone's asleep, you shouldn't be here."

"I came to apologize for the other day, and Heidi this afternoon."

She laughed quietly, "No need to apologize, you have a girlfriend, no biggie if she doesn't want me around."

My brow furrowed, "Is that what you think?" I closed my eyes and inhaled, oddly soothed by her scent. A second later, the burning began in my throat and I shook my head quickly to ignore it. I crossed the room and picked up one of her duffel bags.

"Heidi is one of my commanding officers, not my girlfriend…I'm afraid I haven't been entirely truthful with you."

"What are you doing?" She watched as I moved to the small dresser and threw in her hairbrush, toothbrush, and bathroom supplies into a side pocket.

"You see, I am a guard, but not exactly for the royal family. I guard the three head vampires of the Volturi, whom reside in Volterra."

I opened her chest of drawers and heard her snort. "Did you hit your head?"

I glanced back at her amused face. Sighing I crossed the room and sat beside her on the bed, "I too, am a vampire, those jars you saw, they are not a vitamin blend…its blood. I can prove it to you."

He eyes narrowed and she twisted so she was facing me, sitting cross legged on the bed. "Okay."

I took her hand, "Our skin is cold and hard as marble." I pressed our palms together, "The hail…"

"Didn't melt…" She gasped, staring at our joined hands.

"Our eyesight, hearing and sense of smell are extraordinarily strong." I watched her face carefully.

She never looked up, simply gazing at my hand; slowly she wrapped her fingers around my palm, "So…why haven't you killed me yet?" She whispered after a moment.

"Yesterday, when your blood was excited in the heat, it was pulsing through you so strongly…I so nearly did, if I had ever become used to the idea of killing I might have." I gently withdrew my hand and she drew her legs up to her chest.

"You're so graceful too…" She frowned.

"My strength, speed, grace, and beauty is heightened beyond human capability as well."

"So you run at super speed, can lift up a house, walk with no noise, and are one the most beautiful men on the planet." She blinked and sighed.

"Yes." I was still watching her carefully.

"You also kill humans and bottle their blood." Her face paled slightly and she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"No, I have never killed; from the beginning of my creation my sustenance has been provided for me, the idea of murder revolts me. But, yes, I drink when I'm thirsty." I stood up and sadly moved towards her duffel bag.

"Are you thirsty now?"

I paused and looked back at her, kneeling in front of her, "My eyes, when they are bright red then I've fed, when they turn darker, I'm getting thirsty. When they turn black…I'm extremely dangerous."

She nodded and fiddled with the pant leg of her pajama pants, "Why are you telling me this?"

I sighed heavily and began pulling jeans and shorts from the first drawer I opened, placing them in the bag. "Today…Heidi saw you…saw that I knew you…she was going to kill you on that fact alone, but I stopped her…she is my superior, they will come for me for protecting you…I'm leaving…if I leave you here however, they will kill you anyway…so…I'm taking you with me and I thought you had the right to know everything."

"Um you think?!" She hissed, "NO! No way in hell! I can't just up and leave, besides won't Heidi come after Maria and Andreas? Wait…who is _they_?"

I opened the next door and piled in shirts, "I wasn't giving you an option, and I doubt they'll be harmed, the Volturi needs to stay inconspicuous."

I glanced over my shoulder and saw that her jaw had clenched, her eyes however were scared, "You're telling the truth aren't you?"

"Yes." I turned away, I couldn't look at her.

I heard her get up and waited for the sound of her attempted escape. Instead, her hand touched my shoulder and she pushed slightly, "Move, I'll do it." She smiled sadly, calm once more. I shifted to the side as her small hands rearranged the clothes to free room up in the bag. She opened another drawer and I turned as she began pulling out undergarments. "So who is they?" She asked again, he tone soft as she closed the drawer and moved to the bed.

"The Volturi," I answered, "There are three head vampires: Aro, Caius, and Marcus. They are…well they basically govern the world of vampires, making sure we are never discovered or put in danger."

"But, I didn't know about you this afternoon, why would Heidi want to kill me?" She placed her music player and it's charging cord into the bag.

"But you've met me, and you've been near me, don't tell you didn't find things odd inside my house." I watched as she lay flat on the ground wriggling under the bed.

"That's just so wrong, so where are we going?" Her voice was muffled.

"Back the United States, the ocean will help us get away and there is a family there…one that may help." She came out from under the bed holding a cinched pouch.

"Money." She gestured at the purse when she saw my questioning gaze. "A vampire family?"

"Yes, they were in a similar situation six years ago, I think they might help." I stood and pulled a thick jacket from her closet, handing her the two lighter ones to pack.

"Hey…um what are you going to drink while we run?" She was zipping up the bag now. She knelt down and tugged on socks and her running shoes. She glanced up for a second before diverting her eyes. She slid seven elastic hair ties onto her wrist and looping the eighth around her fiery hair. "Should leave a note…" She mumbled, glancing around.

"I'll get it." I disappeared before she had finished looking up and was back before she had taken a step towards the door. She gaped at me as I handed her the pen and paper.

"Uh…wow." She took it and began jotting down a note, "Well?"

"Oh yes, the food…well I thought I might try what the family in the US does, they hunt animals instead of humans." I watched her expression warily.

"I suppose that's no different than humans who hunt animals." She shrugged and placed the note on the pillow."

"What does it say?" I asked.

"Nothing about you, it just says that I've graduated from high school and I want to make my way around the world while I have the chance." She grinned and adjusted the tight shirt she was wearing. "Is that everything?" She glanced around again.

My head snapped up, "Doesn't matter," I growled, throwing her thick jacket around her shoulders, "They're coming." Her eyes widened with fear and I grabbed her and her bag, my own bag on my back, and then leapt out the window.

I darted into the forest, headed away from the quickly nearing scent of vampires. Thankfully Ayanna was keeping completely silent, I was carrying her bridal style and she had her head tucked into my shoulder, her body tense.

They were nearing; I couldn't outrun them for much longer, burdened as I was with the extra weight. I paused as I reached the base of a hill, setting her and the bags down behind a cluster of bushes and straightening up a second before my four pursuers entered my visibility. It was a pointless action, hiding her, they could surely smell her, but it made me feel better.

"How dare you!" Heidi snarled as soon as she entered the clearing. Her eyes were unclouded again, all it required was a dousing of cold water, apparent by her dripping hair, "Now I'm going to kill her in front of you and savor it while you watch helplessly!"

Behind her were Jane, Felix and Demetri. Three main guards, all of whom had a gift. I was no match, physically I could take one, maybe two…but none with Jane there. Yet words leapt, unbidden, from my lips, "You will not harm her."

Felix chuckled, "You're gonna take on all four of us?"

"I don't have to." I focused on his mind, it was the easiest to control.

"I don't think so!" Jane's light voice trilled. Instantly I was hit with crumpling pain, my whole body seized and I fell to the ground.

I saw Ayanna's shocked face and her scooting slightly towards me. But, the pain was already gone; I was back on my feet in half a second. "Has Aro ordered you to do this?" I challenged their authority with confidence; they wouldn't dare disobey him. I was wrong.

"He left me in charge for two weeks." Jane smiled as my expression flickered.

"Where did he go?"

"He, Marcus, and Caius decided to take a break and vacation in France." Jane stared at me, her eyes full of evil enjoyment.

"And what about when he returns?"

"You'll be dead. He doesn't need to know anything more than that our existence was threatened." Demetri chuckled, leaning forward the slightest bit.

"I won't let you kill her." I growled. I must be insane; I was going to die for her. I heard a bush rustle beside me and four sets of eyes flickered towards the commotion. Ayanna stood up slowly; she walked out beside me while brushing the dirt and leaves from her clothes. I stared at her in shock, "Are you insane?" I hissed.

She took a deep breath, "This has gone on too long for me. You four are completely ridiculous; I can't believe you're going to kill him over me." She glared at them, and Heidi arched an eyebrow.

"Are you going to hand yourself over then?" Heidi scoffed.

My eyes widened as Ayanna's lips split into a sad smile, "Yes." She whispered.

"Are you kidding me?!" I snarled.

She glanced up at me, "Well I'm going to die anyway, so why fight it right?" Demetri looked at her in surprise.

"Fight it because you have years left to live!" I snapped; this was unbelievable.

She closed her eyes and a soft chuckle slid past her lips, "No I don't, I mean I really am going to die soon." She looked down and swallowed, seemingly steeling herself. "See, I'm….I'm sick."

Understanding dawned upon me at the same time as an inexplicable depression.

I heard a groan from in front of us and I looked up to see Felix frowning, "Well that makes this no fun." He grumbled.

"Indeed, we haven't done any maintenance work in so long." Demetri sighed, "I was looking forward to a fight."

"I'm not going to make it quick, self-sacrificing or not, I want Garrett to watch me kill her slowly." Heidi was still fuming.

"And what are we supposed to do?" Felix rolled his eyes.

I stopped paying attention to them, Ayanna was right, this was ridiculous. I looked down at her as a tear streaked down her face, regardless, she looked unusually calm.

She glanced at me, "I'm okay," She assured me, "but, their little argument really kills the seriousness of the situation." A smile touched her lips, "I'm almost waiting for the camera crew to jump out and yell 'Gotcha!'"

I couldn't smile, "You aren't going to die."

"Didn't you hear me? I'm not going to let you die to save my last few years." She wiped at her cheek.

"Years you don't want to miss."

"No! Absolutely not, there is nothing you can do! Why bother saving a life that is going to end?" Her voice rose as anger flickered in her eyes, "You don't even know me that well!"

"Do you think that matters?!" I growled back in frustration, "I can't explain it…I don't want you to die!"

"Well that's just to damn bad!" She shouted, "Because no matter what you do I'm going to! What, you're gonna make me a vampire?!"

"Yes! If that means I get to see you everyday!" I shouted back. She stared, looking taken aback and slightly flattered.

It was then that I noticed the silence that had ensued around us. I looked up to see a mixture of smirks and glares.

"Perfect." Felix rumbled.

I saw her shudder beside me as he grinned at her.

"What is?" Demetri asked.

"I just realized how to make this fun, like a game." A cruel smile twisted his lips and my wariness spiked.

"Explain." Jane ordered in her high soprano.

"He wants to keep her; she's going to die anyway." Even Heidi was interested now, "So we make a few rules and conditions and it turns into a game for us with rather deadly outcomes for them."

"Hunting is not a game." I snarled.

"Patience brother, he hasn't explained yet." Demetri said.

"He's your brother?" Ayanna squeaked from beside me.

I almost laughed, "No it's just a term."

"Continue." Jane spoke up again.

"Yes." Felix nodded, "We give them a head start, a few weeks maybe, to try and hide themselves. Then we set out, and if we don't find them within let's say…the same amount of time, then we leave them alone. He can make her a vampire, if she survives the weeks that is."

"And, if you find us?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well…if you give her up, we kill her, you live…if you defend her…we kill you both." He grinned.

"Great deal." I hissed. There was heavy sarcasm dripping from my words. Instantaneously I tensed as I felt a light touch on my elbow.

"It's the only choice we have." Ayanna murmured. "It's okay, take what you can get."

My jaw clenched as I glared at the vampires before me, "Very well, how long do we have, and Demetri should be banned from using his ability."

Felix looked at Heidi who smirked, "Done, and a week."

"Three." Ayanna argued, my eyebrows shot up at the impressive glare she was shooting.

Heidi's nostrils flared, "Two tops or I kill you now."

"That's fine." I spoke up, tugging Ayanna behind me as Jane began to stare at her, "Beginning tomorrow." I qualified.

"Very well," Demetri rumbled, "You have two hours until tomorrow." He smirked and the vampires left, Heidi turning to glare once more before leaving.

That was when Ayanna broke down, she began to back up, her breathing come in short gasps, "Oh god…this is straight from fiction book…a horror." I watched her carefully and finally she regained her demeanor. She took a deep breath and nodded, "Ok…so a plan…to the US? Do we take a plane?"

"I want to lead them through a few countries before we disappear so they'll follow a false lead. Then we'll take a plane to New York, from there we head to Alaska."

"Sounds good." She nodded, her face anxious.

"Are you okay?" I asked, hesitantly stepping towards her.

She nodded and a smile touched her full lips, "Yea…just wrapping my mind around it." She pulled our bags from the bushes. "Ok, let's go."

**A/n: Please review with any thoughts you had!! **


	6. Lyon

On the Run

She was asleep now. Her head had slumped against my shoulder some time ago and here she was, in my arms, sound asleep. If I didn't assume better, she almost looked comfortable, despite the cold marble of my embrace. We, or rather I, had covered at least four hundred miles since we had left Volterra four hours ago. We had just crossed the border to France and I had no intention of slowing down. Her weight and the bags barely slowed me but enough to the point that I didn't feel safe taking my time.

At least I hadn't had any intention of slowing, that is until she began to stir. It was the slightest of mumbles and her hand gripped my shirt lightly before she yawned. I stopped running, looking down at her as we stood between the tall pines sixty miles outside of Lyon.

She blinked a few times and stretched her arms out. "AH!" She suddenly screeched, as she became unbalanced in my grasp. "Holy sh- oh…ha ha…sorry I forgot you were carrying me, that's really disorienting."

"I'm sure." I nodded, watching her as she glanced around.

"Soooo… are you gonna let me down? Or carry me forever?" She looked at me awkwardly and fiddled with her shirt.

"You can walk for a moment, but we have to keep moving, you can eat and relieve yourself in Lyon." I gently set her down.

"Lyon…like as in Lyon, _France?" _She stared up at me, "Impossible, we were in Italy, what? How?"

"I told you I run fast."

"Uh yea, that's an understatement." She scoffed.

I chuckled, "Would you like to change?"

"Mmm, yea that'd be good." She took her bag from my hand and staggered as the weight hit her, "Jeez Louis." She stumbled to behind a tree and I waited semi patiently as I heard her curse at the cold morning air as she dressed. She came out in a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt that clung a little too nicely to her curves. I clenched my jaw as she approached me. "Much better."

"Then let's go." She nodded and handed me the bag, then smiled ruefully, she was not willing to just walk into my arms and I would not just snatch her up. We stood there looking at one another for a few moments before she giggled.

"We won't get anywhere at this rate." I closed my eyes and sighed, then stepped forward and gently scooped her into my arms.

Then I began to run again. She instantly curled in tighter, ducking her head as the wind whipped past us and we were hit with bullet like mist as I ran through the fog.

"It shouldn't be this cold in the summer!" She moaned, curling in even tighter and tucking against my chest.

"That won't help; my skin is cold as well." I reminded her, "The fog will be gone in a few minutes but be grateful for it. I can't just go running into the town without attracting attention, be grateful for the cover while we have it."

"Still…" She mumbled, rubbing her arms quickly.

It wasn't long before I had covered the remaining distance; I came to a running stop not five miles from the city, almost directly next to a house.

"Well, that's not good." She noted.

I looked at her with one of my eyebrows arched, "Not good, that could have been disastrous."

"You're right, this would have been better," She adopted a panicked look and her hand flew up to her mouth, "Oh no! What if you hadn't stopped?!? We would have flown right through the wall! Then what the Volturi would have found us and those poor people…oh my goodness! I thought you could see way better than us humans, you should have been able to see the house coming!"

I couldn't help but laugh, "No you were correct the first reaction was better."

She smirked, "Thought so, but anyway, you can't carry me all the way to the city, not with all these people."

"Yes but it is five miles and it is still early morning, no one arises at these hours."

Her lips pursed, "Hmm…well I would say just slow down a bit and keep that nose of yours open so you can smell all the humans around." She nodded. I would have agreed and taken off directly save for one problem, she lifted her hand and tapped the end of my nose with a finger twice.

My throat was on fire immediately. My lip curled as I looked at her and a deep predatory growl ripped from my chest. She looked up at me in shock and gasped.

"Let me go!" She demanded, pushing pointlessly against my chest. My arms were like a steel cage around her and I was slowly drawing her closer. She smelled so good, that warm vanilla scent again, her arm; when it had come so close to my nose, that had been her mistake.

"Garrett, STOP!" She shouted straining to lean away from me in my arms. That didn't help; she was now unknowingly baring her neck before me, taunting my thirst with the silky smooth skin of her throat.

I needed to fight it, I was telling myself to fight it, but she smelled so damn good, and my throat was begging for it. I wouldn't have to carry anything anymore, no bags, nothing, if I just sank my fangs into that soft little neck of hers. I would be on my own to escape the Volturi.

On my own…alone. I had a sudden vision of me without her and my thirst was halted. I imagined making this journey by myself. I would have none of her happy laughter or quirky comments, no one to talk to and I wouldn't have her white blue eyes to watch as she reacted to things. I flinched.

Shaking my head I put her down and backed away quickly. She looked at me warily from her seat on the ground and stood up with quaking knees, "Garrett…are you okay."

My nostrils flared as she spoke, was _I _okay? She was almost killed by her only protector and she was worried if I was okay. I snarled to myself and took of into the forest to clear my mind and regain firm control over myself. She would stay there and wait for me.

As soon as I was out of her hearing range I hit a tree with all my might. A giant split crawled up its trunk until the tree split apart and fell to the ground with a boom. I had to learn to control it, if I had realized what I was doing half a second later I would have killed her, or she would have been dead. I couldn't handle that, how sorry would it be for me to have tossed my entire existence aside for a girl that I killed on the first day? I refuse to harm her, there had to be a way to stop, something she could do that would make me realize what I was doing…a smell that cancelled the thirst out. I took off at a dead sprint, intent on finding a smell that disgusted me.

o0o0o0o

"Ooookaaay." I mumbled as I watched the Garrett sized blur flash into the trees. At my ankles was my bag, his still attached to his back. After debating for half a minute I picked up the heavy duffel and started walking down the road. Adonis was on crack if he thought I was gonna stand next to the wall of some random house all day.

I couldn't figure him out, last night he was all _I'll save you if that means I can spend life with you _blah blah blah, then today he's back to _yes, I'm sure. _I was kind of excited last night, after I had gotten over the whole 'shit I'm gonna die' part, the idea of traveling with a vampire who could possibly maybe like you as more than a friend sounded like a pretty sweet deal to me. What girl didn't dream of a mysterious godlike myth to spend their life with? And since mine was only gonna last for maybe a year, it wasn't that much to ask. That is if he would be a little less formal.

I guess the almost killing me thing just then was partially my fault, I had lifted my skin to right by his mouth. But, he'd caught himself, so why the freak out? Maybe he was wondering what the point of this whole thing was. I had about four million times already. He'd heard me say that I was sick, which I was, and the fact that he was an immortal…well we weren't exactly puzzle pieces made for each other, not to mention the human/vampire factor.

Not that I was thinking about it that much. I didn't plan further then a few days ahead anymore. There was no point, when at any time I could drop and be stuck at the hospital until I died. It was easier to just enjoy what I could do while I could. My doctor back in New York had said my dancing and all the work outs I did for it helped, but still, a year was as good as I was gonna get.

I suddenly heard a truck, a big truck from the sounds of it, rolling down the road behind me. The fog hadn't quite cleared yet, I could see about five feet in either direction so I knew they couldn't see me. I backed off the road, being a splat on someone's window wasn't on my agenda. The pickup truck rolled by me and I could see the two young men glance at me as they went by. I couldn't help but smirk to myself as I heard the brakes and then the truck reversed to in front of me.

"Bonjour." One of them spoke as he rolled down the window.

"Hi, I don't speak French." I grinned.

"Zat's all right mademoiselle, we speak English enough well." His English was heavily accented. "Would you need a ride?"

"Umm," I glanced over my shoulder to where Garrett had disappeared, not that I could see much, "Yea, that'd be cool." I nodded and backed up slightly as one of them opened the door, then accepted his hand up into the cab. He tossed my suitcase into the back and then slid in next to me. I hoped these guys were the nice kind, it was too late now and a flash of warning hit me from my past. I blinked slightly and swallowed inconspicuously, I couldn't dwell on what had happened or what could happen, I lived in the present. That was my philosophy and I reminded myself, it was fine, these men were nice. If not well then…at least Garrett wouldn't be responsible for my death, he'd be able to escape a hell of a lot faster.

o0o0o0o

An hour had passed before I had realized. When I did I swore to myself and turned around directly, sprinting as fast as I could back to the house where Ayanna was. I tore from the woods and slid to a stop looking around widely as the house came into view, with Ayanna not beside it. Growling lowly I pulled my hood up as the sun beat down on me, inhaling for her scent. This was an unexpected delay, not a good one. I noticed she followed the road, so I chased her scent. Until it stopped that is. Suddenly it was joined by a male smell, then it disappeared and the smell of exhaust lingered in her place.

There was no scent of fear or anxiety so a struggle didn't seem probable. But, the idea of her willingly getting into a car with a strange man...anger bubbled in my stomach. I steered myself off of the road and out of sight. Once again I began to run, going the only place a car could have gone: the city.

o0o0o0o

We made it to the city within ten minutes I climbed out of the truck and accepted my suitcase when they handed it to me.

"Would you like to meet with us later, we can show you around town, if you would like zat of course." One of the men asked as they got back into their truck.

"No, thanks though, I'm going to explore on my own." I smiled and turned. How weird would it be if Adonis found me and those guys were with me. How to explain a tall guy in a long grey cloak, hooded with red eyes to a bunch of humans. Only freaks like me would be like 'oh okay, just a vampire, no biggie.'

As I began to walk down the street my stomach growled grumpily and my priorities were immediately changed to food first, clean up later. A turned down a street that looked busy hoping that like in the US there would be at least one food place on a street of stores.

Finally I found what looked to be a small pastry shop. I could handle pastries, frankly the regular restaurants scared me, I didn't want to accidentally eat frog legs or cow brain or snails. As I walked in I inhaled deeply, loving the sweet warmth that radiated within the small room.

"Bonjour, quoi tu désires?" The woman behind the counter spoke to me.

"Uh…" I hesitated, and then decided to walk up to the counter and point at the one that looked good.

The woman nodded with a warm smile and placed one in a paper bag. She rang it up on the register and laughed when I pulled out American money and looked at her in confusion. She gestured at a five dollar bill and handed me back a French bill. I nodded and accepted the pastry and the money then walked out.

Once I was back on the street I found a park and seated myself on a bench. I bit into the light sugary bread and watched the kids in the playground. One of the little boys slid down the slide then ran laughing to his mother's side. I watched with that familiar touch of envy. It was a long time ago that I'd gotten over any real jealousy, but I couldn't deny that there was always a lingering hint when I allowed myself to be surrounded by families.

I finished the bread and rolled my shoulders, sighing and debating for a moment as to whether or not I wanted to sit here for a few more moments or find somewhere to clean up. One touch to my hair and I had decided. I stood and grabbed my bag prepared to wander once again. I took only two steps when a cold hand suddenly gripped my upper arm gently.

I flinched then relaxed as I realized who it was, the only person who had skin that cold. Turning I found myself looking into the furious face of Adonis, fully cloaked from the sun.

"Well don't you look conspicuous." I smirked as his nostrils flared.

"I told you to wait!" He growled.

"Yea, I know but seriously? Why would I wait by some stranger's house? No human would be okay with that." I rolled my eyes.

He blinked like he hadn't thought about that and then sighed. "I wish you would have waited in the forest then, I didn't know where you had gone."

"Couldn't you follow my smell?" I arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, until you got into a car." His face automatically switched back to anger, "With a strange man."

"Hate to break it to you, but you're a strange man too, I'm surrounded by strange."

"That is not what I meant." He snapped, "Where were you headed?"

"To find a place to clean up, my hair is disgusting." I held a piece of hair up for his inspection. Not that I expected him to, which is why it surprised me that he ran his fingers through a chunk.

"Hm, very well, one day will not harm us I think." He nodded and glanced around. "There was a hotel in that direction."

I shrugged and gestured for him to lead the way. He took my bag and walked beside me up two streets until we came upon a fancy looking hotel. "Uh, how much money do we have, because no way in hell can I pay for this…" I whispered.

"I will take care of it." He assured me as he held the door open for me. I walked into marble floored lobby and tried to look as if I belonged. Adonis took his hood off once inside the safety of the ceiling and walked directly up to the receptionist and began speaking in fluent French.

Moments later he walked back to me, room key in hand, "Let's go." He led me to the elevator and ushered me in. We rode it up to the fifth floor and then walked down the hall to a one person suite. He unlocked the door and let me pass him into the pale beige room with a king sized white bed and a beige couch. There was a bedside table and a low coffee table in front of the couch. Red curtains blocked the sunlight from the windows. He set the bags down on the floor and gestured to the bathroom. I nodded and gathered up some more comfy clothes before shutting the door behind me.

o0o0o0o

I heard her turn the water on and sat on the couch with a sigh. This couldn't happen again. This stop, this was the only time this could happen. If we delayed like this every time we reached a town there was no chance that we would make it to the Cullen family in time. I did see her point though, from a human point of view, standing beside a stranger's household would have most definantly seemed odd.

I would have to learn more about her, learn what she likes, something to help me remember that she is a person, a living being, someone I cared about when I got to close. I would prevent happenings like this. The water shut off and I listened intently as the shower door was opened and she stepped lightly onto the plush bath mat. I could hear her drying off and then the soft sound of her pulling on a shirt and sliding her legs into denim. Finally the bathroom door opened and she walked out with her old clothes in hand, her hair was wrapped in a soft white towel.

"Much better." She sighed and grabbed the dirty clothes bag the hotel provided. She placed her clothes in it and folded it gently into her duffel bag. She then sat down on the bed, facing me, and pulled the towel from her hair.

I watched mesmerized as her auburn locks spilled to her shoulders, darkened by water. The smell hit me a moment later, strengthened when wet. I grit my teeth as she dried it best she could with the towel before tossing it to the side and running her fingers through it. Finally she looked up at me and smiled.

"So, what's the plan for today?" She asked, tucking her legs beneath her.

"Simple talking, you and I must get to know each other better, I have to learn to control myself, and getting to know you as a person would be the best way I believe." She considered it for a moment then nodded.

We spent the next hours talking of trivial things, like music favorites and best reads. I learned what foods she liked, and which ones she couldn't stand, I learned that she had been dancing since she was little and had never stopped loving it. She talked about New York and how she dreamed of traveling and performing across the world. I spoke of my past and my family, and what I liked then, and what I missed.

It was then that she fell silent. "What is it?" I asked, she shook her head and smiled softly.

"Nothing," She glanced at the phone, "I just need to make a call." She slid off of the bed and walked to the phone, picking up the receiver slowly. She glanced at me then dialed a number, waiting until I heard a voice on the other end.

"_Hello?" _

"Hey, it's Ayanna." She answered.

"_Oh! Hi, how are you, you've been neglecting to call me!" _

"Yea, I know sorry, it's just, well it's been a crazy week." She glanced at me again.

"_Oh? Why? What's happened?" _

"Nothing much, just…something I decided to do."

"_Ayanna, what are you talking about?" _

"I-I won't be coming in two weeks."

"_Ayanna what happened, you have a year…what number is this? Are you at a hospital?" _The voice sounded panicked.

"No, relax, I just decided that I can't waste what time I do have left and as much as I would love to live with you and Justin I can't, I have to be independent for whatever time I can." Ayanna was avoiding my gaze now.

"_Ayanna…you've been independent you're whole life, you've had to be, both of us…please come live with me, I can help you do whatever you like with the time you do have left…" _

"No…I appreciate it, and I promise to keep in touch, and maybe someday I'll explain, but no, right now just accept that I'm happy."

"_Ayanna, I love you, you'll always be my sister and as much as I'd like to be able to order you to come…you've never been one to listen, I trust you're judgment, just be careful." _

"I will, I love ya Araceli."

"_Bye Ayanna." _

Ayanna hung up the receiver and leaned on the table for a moment, before slowly turning to me, "Sorry, I had forgotten, and I needed to tell her at least."

"Who was that, you're sister?"

"In a way, see all this talk about family…you should know I guess, I don't really have one. I was orphaned a long, long time ago and lived in a orphanage until recently. Araceli was my one true friend growing up, she's a few years older than me and she took care of me. She just got married and I was going to live with them for the extent of my…sickness, but with all this, obviously I can't."

"That explains you're willingness to travel. I was waiting for you to object because of your families worry for you."

"Yea, no worries there."

"I see," I nodded. I looked out the window and saw the darkening sky, "Sleep Ayanna, we leave early, and we won't have such comforts for a long while."

She stretched out and snuggled into a pillow, "No problem…" She yawned before drifting off.


	7. A Slight Cough

**A/n: After a lot of thought and some advice from my friends (thanks Zoe & Jordyn!) I like how this chapter turned out, so enjoy!**

**A Slight Cough**

"_She has no family either, we are both alone." _I thought as I gazed at her sleeping face. I was lying across from her on the wide bed. I was telling myself it was because I was immersing myself in her scent so travel would be easier. That was a lie. Though partly being so close to her scent would help, mostly I just liked watching her. She was so beautiful, just lying there with her hair splayed all around her.

What was this girl doing to me? Why was I becoming so obsessed with this frail human girl? I knew very little about her yet she entranced me.

She shivered then, just a slight quake of her shoulders and spine, but I could see the goose bumps rise on her arm. Gently I reached out and lifted her by the waist, tugging the covers from under quickly, setting her down in less than a second. I cover her to her shoulders and leaned back on my palm, propped up on my shoulder.

"Why do you have to be sick?" I whispered, gently tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. I didn't know what she was sick with but I was going to prevent everything and anything that could make it worse.

o0oo0o0o

She woke up in the morning and stretched, blearily fingering the sheets around her. She sat up and looked around until she saw me, and then a smile lit her face. "Hey there Adonis." She yawned. "What time is it?"

I shook my head lightly at her nickname and pulled our bags onto the bed. "It's four fifteen am. I already ordered room service for you, I got…um bacon, scrambled eggs, and hash browns…it seemed pretty simple." I shrugged; I didn't know what she liked.

"Works for me, I'm not picky." She flashed me a grin again and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She stood quickly and stretched, running her fingers through her hair again. "So…how much time do I have?" She peeked at me from the corner of her eye as if she was trying to sneak something.

"I would say twenty minutes. After you eat I would like to go." I said blankly, trying to decipher her words.

"Cause…you keep saying that I won't have any amenities and I'm not gonna lie…I like me some amenities." She turned to face me, her hands on her hips, one jutted out to the side. "So I want another shower while it's available."

I couldn't help but laugh at that, "Well, then get into the shower."

She giggled, "Yay! Besides, if I'm gonna get all stinky and dirty on the run, then I want you to remember me clean and fresh." She smirked then grabbed a set of clothes from her bag then walked off to the bathroom. I watched her flawless walk for a moment, wondering how odd it would be if I asked her to dance for me.

Only five minutes had passed before there was a knock on the door. I stood from my seat on the couch and opened it to see a young woman in a kitchen outfit and a big smile on her face, "Bonjour!" She chirped and gestured to the tray.

I nodded, "Merci." I replied and took the tray from her. I shut the door and carried it back to the table in the room, "Ayanna, breakfast is here." I called.

Less than two minutes later the shower cut off and I once again listened to the sound of her drying off. Steam leaked out of the bathroom as the door opened and she strolled back into the room, drying her hair with the towel in her hand as she inhaled. "Mm smells great." She said, and collapsed into the chair at the table. "I'm glad you ordered regular food though, I would have been a little hesitant to eat some weird French delicacy or whatever."

"Oh…I uh…so you don't like escargot?" I asked.

She looked up quickly, fork poised over the eggs, "No…why?" She looked at me suspiciously.

"They cook it with the eggs…gives it a unique flavor the menu said." I shrugged innocently.

She blinked rapidly for a moment then set the fork down and pursed her lips, staring at the eggs. She picked up the fork again after a moment and with a quick sideways glance at me she stabbed a very small bit of egg, quickly placing it in her mouth.

I watched her face as she chewed, fighting laughter. She swallowed and flashed me a weak smile, I couldn't help it then I laugh out loud.

Her head snapped up and she stared at me in confusion, "What? Why are you-…oh I get it! You were joking!" She exclaimed. I nodded as I continued to laugh, catching the phone book as she chucked it at me.

"I'm sorry." I apologized as I controlled my laughter. I flipped open the book and scanned it quickly until I found the correct phone number. I picked up the phone ignoring Ayanna's flinch as I suddenly appeared next to her. I watched her shake her head with a slight smile before she continued to eat. "Hello, yes I need two tickets to New York…no direct…coach will be fine, Garrett Moretti, 84763902840, yes, thank you."

I hung up the receiver and watched her finish eating. "So, flying to New York are we?" She asked as she wiped her mouth and stood up.

"Yes, we have a three o'clock flight leaving Madrid to New York." I replied, gathering our bags.

"I'm sorry…did you just say Madrid? That's so far away! Even running full speed…we need to be there by like two so we make the flight and get through security and stuff. And how are you going to run that fast in daylight anyhow?" She was staring at me again like I was insane.

"Yes…I suppose we need a car." I frowned.

"Yea, too bad we don't have that kind of money! I don't know how we're going to afford this hotel as it is! You can't use a credit card either, that can be tracked." She sighed and sat on the couch next to her bag.

I hid a smile; it was cute that she was so worried about it, as if vampires needed to resort to such methods. "I will take care of both the car and the room." I replied and lifted the bags into the air, "Let's go."

She shrugged in resignation then walked out of the room before me. We rode the elevator in silence, mine a result of half fighting, half enjoying her scent. Her silence looked as if she was thinking hard, at least that's what the slight wrinkle in her brow led me to believe.

We stepped into a very empty lobby; most people were asleep at this hour after all. I stepped up to the counter, leaving Ayanna with the bags. I heard her rustling around in hers as I spoke to the receptionist. "Good morning, we'll be leaving now."

"Of course sir." Her English was quite good. "That will be-"

"No." I cut her off, staring directly at her, locking onto her gaze, "We will not be paying. You will forget anyone stayed in that room and will erase the record from your computer. You will tell the other receptionists that remember me that they were dreaming; no one was in that room. You will forget my friend and you will speak of this to no one." I held her gaze for another moment, until she nodded then backed away from the counter.

Ayanna was opening a pill bottle, I hesitated in my steps as I watched her place two pills in her mouth and dry swallow them. I shook my head as she inconspicuously zipped them back into her bathroom bag, she obviously didn't want any attention drawn to it. I walked to her side quickly then and scooped up the bags. "Let's go, we have until someone else speaks or something makes a sound for her to start acting normally again. So be silent until we get outside."

She nodded and walked quietly in front of me to the doors. As I opened them she slid out and paused on the sidewalk as I pulled up the hood of my cloak.

"What'd you do?" She asked.

"I have a certain ability…" I shrugged, "I can control people's actions…mind control. Weal minds like that, humans mostly I can simply order them to do something and focus a little and it works. With stronger minds I have to touch their foreheads."

"Can she be snapped out of it?"

"No, I ordered her to forget about us, so she did. Normally, if I was telling her to…oh I don't know, run in circles, someone would simply have to douse her in cold water to wake her up. With orders like I just gave her though, she'll act normally as far as everyone else is concerned." I swung her up into my arms and began to sprint down the street, thanking whatever gods might exist for no cars and dark storefronts.

She was silent for a moment, "Why do you where that cloak?" she suddenly asked.

"Did I not say?" I thought back, "When in sunlight vampire skin glitters, like...the way a gem glitters in sunlight."

"Really?" She smiled, half of her nose crinkling up in a very endearing way as she looked at me, as if imagining it.

"Really." I chuckled, slowing to a stop outside of a car dealership. I set her down on the sidewalk just outside the gate and hopped the fence. Once inside I found the security guard and ordered him to open the gates and get me keys to black Ferrari P4 with dark tinted windows.

I drove it out to the gate and laughed at Ayanna's open gaping mouth and wide eyes. I hopped out and grabbed up the bags, throwing them into the trunk. As I looked up a mother and her daughter turned the corner, passing right in front on Ayanna. I held my breath and motioned Ayanna into the car.

She slammed the door behind her as she sat down a few seconds later beside me, letting out a huge breath as she removed her hand from over her nose and mouth.

"Why were you holding _your _breath?" I asked with a confused smile.

"That little girl had a cold." She replied seriously. I stared at her for a moment, a sudden guess at what she was sick with occurring to me. Tempted as I was to bring it up, I knew Ayanna would mention in when she was ready. I simply pulled away from the curb and sped through town, gunning it when I found the freeway.

o0o0o0o

At about noon I pulled over on a small country road, empty of traffic and people, so Ayanna could eat and move around a bit. I flashed around the car and opened the door for her lending her a hand to help her up out of the bucket seats. She stood with a sigh and arched her back, stretching. I tried to ignore watching the progression of her shirt as the bottom crept up her smooth stomach as she stretched her arms in the air. Turning away before she could catch me staring at her I opened the trunk and opened my bag for the first time.

She walked to m y side and watched as I carefully moved the jars of blood to the side and fished out a loaf of bread. I saw her glance at me but she made no comment about the blood, "Wow, I never even thought about the food I brought for you. I guess it's a good thing I bought it after all." She laughed and took the bread from my hands.

"What would you like on it?" I asked, unsure of what I had that would work.

"Got some peanut butter?" She peered into my bag and reached for it the same time I did. Our hands touched, and to my immense surprise she didn't pull back. Instead she was frozen, like she was waiting for me to move first.

So I did, I had already admitted that I cared for, and I was showing the extent of what I would do for her everyday. Considering the fact that she hadn't rejected anything yet, I took the chance to do what I had craved for some time. I very gently grabbed her hand, setting the bread on my bag, then just as gently pulled her into my chest, hugging her as tightly as I dared. I heard her gasp lightly, but she didn't pull back. She slowly wrapped her hands around my back and rested her head on my chest, I felt her squeeze but it was barely a noticeable pressure.

I let myself breathe a little then. Her scent hit me hard and I stiffened slightly, restraining myself. When I had it under control I bowed my head and inhaled against her hair once. This time I had to clench my jaw. I knew that no matter how much I would like to stand like this all day I needed fresh air. I gently pulled her arms back, letting my strained expression speak for itself.

She nodded and bit her lip, backing up quickly until there was about ten feet between us. I inhaled the clean air and shook my head as soon as I could think clearly again. "I'm so sorry." I mumbled.

"It's okay that was nice." She smiled at me so warmly I wanted to grab her up into a hug again. "I understand, slow works for me." There was something she wasn't saying again but I let it go and motioned for her to approach again. She let me get the peanut butter and the plastic knife as she took out two slices of bread. When she had her sandwich made I put everything away and went to sit next to her on the rock just off the side of the road. She was eating in a circle, all the crust first. I lifted an eyebrow and she shrugged, grinning sheepishly.

She was just about to eat the middle when a sudden breeze shifted our way. I tensed automatically, standing as I took a confirmatory breath. "Ayanna, get in the car." I growled, tensing myself as I scanned the surroundings.

"What?" She asked, standing slowly and following my gaze.

"Just get in the car Ayanna!" I snapped. She nodded and ran to the car, climbing in just as a cloaked figure emerged from the distant trees. I was in the car in the next second as two more figures emerged, followed by three walking figures. I started the ignition, and leaned over to buckle Ayanna quickly when her fingers fumbled with it. I gunned the gas as soon as she was secure, the figures were chasing and I knew if they caught up they could easily disassemble the car. I cursed myself for letting us get so far away from people merely for the sake of privacy.

The first figure was catching up far too quickly, I floored it, reaching one hundred and thirty miles per hour in the next seconds. She was almost beside us already though, I heard Ayanna scream and I glanced up to see her leap at the passenger side of the car. Gripping the wheel I turned sharply, fishtailing then righting myself as she flew over us. I gunned it forward as she turned around, but it was too late. She had seen me, she stopped chasing and the other two pursuers stopped beside her as she stared at the car. Her face was impassive, but I knew no good would come of this. She was Caius' personal guard. The three Volturi leaders now knew I had left my post. With a human.

o0o0o0o

We made it to Madrid by one, riding in complete silence as she slowly finished her sandwich, looking sick all the while. She stepped out of the car as I pulled under the overhang in front of the entrance to the airport. I shrugged my cloak off and stepped out of the car. A valet stepped forward and accepted the key, handing me a ticket so I could collect the car later. I slung my cloak over my arm and gathered the bags, ignoring the blatant stares at the car.

I ushered Ayanna inside and set the bags down as I walked to the counter a female worker was behind. She was staring at me in shock so her mind would be vulnerable. After I collected the tickets and had the woman erase the charge from whoever's credit card number I had made up I followed Ayanna through security.

"I figure since we only have two bags, we don't need to check them in, I'm sure we can get them into the overhead compartments. Mine may be heavy but I packed tightly so it's small enough, and yours is just a backpack." She explained quietly as we walked past luggage check in.

After a little manipulation on my part I got my bag through security, food, blood and all. Ayanna's went through easily after that and soon we were searching for our terminal.

I felt her hand on my arm then "Oh my gosh…do you smell that?" Her eyes were closed as she inhaled. "Coffee!" She suddenly exclaimed, "It smells so good!"

"Would you like some?" I asked, "It's almost two o'clock though…"

"It doesn't matter." She laughed. She unzipped part of her bag and fished out her money bag, withdrawing a ten from inside.

I followed her in, cringing at the smell as it hit in full force. I stayed near the entrance as she ordered. "Quiero un latte de vainilla mediano por favor." She asked sweetly. The worker smiled and made the transaction, handing back a five and some change.

After she had her coffee she walked to me with grumbling, "Damn, prices in Spain are so expensive, five bucks for a freaking coffee!"

I chuckled at her irritation and led her to the terminal not fifty yards from the café. I sat down and tossed the bags to the ground, watching as she sat down looking completely in bliss as she sipped on her hot drink. "Mm that's so good, I feel like I haven't had a coffee in forever. I definantly miss Starbucks."

"I've heard of that, do all humans like that place?" I asked, truly curious.

"No, a lot of them do, but some people don't like coffee at all." She shrugged, taking another sip.

"But you do." I asked again.

"Yup, everything but caramel or fruit flavors I'll drink it!" She giggled. I smiled and stored that piece of information away, perhaps on the travel, I could stop and get her some when she was sleeping, anything to make her more comfortable.

After a few more minutes of silence she set the coffee down and glanced around swiftly, ensuring no one was in hearing range. "So…at lunch…who was that? Are there a lot of them-…your kind out there?"

"Not that many, not to the point that we should have run into anyone. That was not just a traveler though…those three…did you see the three that were walking?"

"Yes." She whispered, coffee forgotten as she turned sideways in the seat, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Those three were who I was supposed to protect. Those were Aro, Marcus, and Caius. The three that were chasing us were their personal guards. No doubt they smelled you and decided they were up for a snack." I snarled quietly as I spoke, staring blackly at the ground.

Her hand touched my arm and I looked up to see her smiling softly at me, "It's okay, we got away."

"Yes." I sighed, she didn't get it, it wasn't her fault though, and I still had so much to explain. "But, they saw me, and recognized me. Now the three rulers will know I left my post for a human girl, and no doubt when they go back Heidi will exaggerate a little." I glared at her hand on my arm, "Aro won't even bother to check, he'd rather believe them and play their little game."

"He'd go along with it?" She looked sick again and she dragged her hands through her hair. I looked up at her as I missed the warmth on my arm.

"Unfortunately, Aro will think it's delightful, no doubt he won't let us escape though, when two weeks passes, he tell them to keep looking, he made me because he liked my ability…he won't want to let me do whatever I want." I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning my head back.

"So we're stuck." She whispered. I looked up more quickly than I should have in public and gently took her hand.

"I won't let them hurt you, we'll run forever if we have to…unless you don't want to." I added on at the end. I kept forgetting that she probably didn't feel the same way that I did. Human emotions were different than mine…she probably wasn't attached to the point of never wanting to part.

She smiled slightly, squeezing my hand then letting go to pick up her coffee again, "C'mon it's time to board." She stood up and cleared her throat, frowning for a moment. I looked at her for a second then followed with the bags.

After standing in line for a few minutes we handed over our boarding passes and took two seats in the back. Her by the window, I felt safer being on the outside were nothing could get to her, as ridiculous as it felt, I couldn't shake the feeling that seeing the Volturi had given me.

Finally everyone was boarded and Ayanna leaned back against the seat, rubbing her throat as she cleared it again. "Are you okay?" I asked softly as I watched a lady stop beside me then change her mind as she met my gaze.

"Yea I just-" Suddenly she coughed. My gaze switched to her face automatically as she coughed again, then a third time. "I'm getting a cold."

A seemingly simple statement would not have alarmed me but she said it with such hushed dread that my dead heart tightened with panic. I didn't know what to do, or even what was wrong but as the flight attendant said in the background '_in case of emergency' _my entire being filled with terror, complete fear of the unknown that could only be inspired by something involving this girl, the new focus of my life.

**A/n: oooo lots of things happening!! Lol, ok, so lemme know what you thought, comments, questions, suggestions, all is welcome!! :D**


	8. Her Sickness

**A/n: I want to make it clear that I don't mean to make light of any sort of sexual harassment or rape, I realize that what I've written is a serious and terrible experience that no one should suffer. If you would prefer not to read it, please send me a review saying so and I will tell you all you need to know to continue reading this story.**

**Her Sickness**

I fought to calm down; I could be of no help to her if I panicked as well. "What exactly does that mean?" She was still clasping her throat, staring at the seat in front of her with a look mixed between horror and resignation. "Ayanna?" I gently touched her arm, trying to get her attention.

She blinked and looked down, lowering her hand to wring it with her other in her lap, "It means that my year limit just got cut down exponentially." She replied softly after a long moment of silence.

My gaze locked onto her face as she looked down at her hands, "Why...How? It's just a cold; humans get them all the time."

Finally she looked up at me, her blue eyes shining with a film of tears, "I'm sick Garrett, I told you that."

I shook my head, "But this is just a cold, I'll get you some-"

Her hand covered my mouth and I was immediately assaulted with her scent. I fought the blood lust as it overcame me within the second, beating back the beast that wanted to rip her from my side. Finally I refocused, drawn away from the thirst by her soft words, "No, I'm really sick…I-I…" She took a deep breath and removed her hand; she reached down and unbuckled her seatbelt. I realized we were no longer on the ground. I berated myself for losing focus, if we had been on land a lapse in attention could be costly.

She shifted and leaned closer to my ear, more cautious of her movements this time, apparently my slip in control had been noticed. Slowly she began to whisper, "I think you have the right to know…but it's a long story and it's not easy for me to tell…even now." She paused; waiting for me to nod. With another deep breath and a warm exhale that made my jaw clench as it caressed my face she began, "Five years ago, a month after my twelfth birthday, I was placed with a new foster family. All families were supposed to meet certain standards but the home I was in was overcrowded, they were desperate to place us.

This couple came in and all of us immediately knew we didn't want to be placed with them. The woman was small and timid, her hair was grimy and her face was dark and depressed. The man was her opposite, tall and barrel chested, greasy with eyes that smiled in a way that made you shiver and cringe away. They claimed to have always wanted a daughter but they'd been unsuccessful, they already had two sons, one eighteen and one fifteen.

I had always stuck out like a sore thumb at the home. I was too pale, to skinny, with freckles and flaming red hair…they noticed and chose me. Araceli tried to tell me to be optimistic, telling me not to judge by appearances as I packed up, but as I got into their car my gut told me I wasn't safe. The beer cans that littered the cars' floorboards should have tipped the home off, but they just watched as they took me away.

The house was exactly what I expected of people like them, a falling apart shack in a white trash neighborhood. It was only three bedrooms so I had to share with one of the boys. The eldest scared me; he was the spitting image of the father just skinnier and younger. I chose to room with the other, there was something kinder and softer about him, and he looked at me as if he knew what I was feeling.

At first it was okay, I thought maybe Araceli had been right, I could talk to the boy I roomed with. He told me how to stay off his dad's bad side, to keep my head down, to obey, to eat and wear whatever they gave me without complaint. Otherwise I was told it was best to keep to myself.

From the bedroom I shared I could see into the backyard of the house next door. There was a girl there, and everyday from three to five she would go outside and dance. She was good and I loved to sit and watch her after I'd rushed back from school. I wanted to be like her, beautiful and graceful…" Her face grew somber as she fell silent. I had turned my head to watch her as she spoke, hearing her just as well either way.

She drew yet another deep breath and started again, "It was my fault…" She started then swallowed, losing her nerve. I sensed that this was the hard part and gently as I could I took her hand. She met my gaze for a second and gave me a small smile. Her hand tightened around mine and she continued, "I was hungry, I'd been late that morning to school so I'd had to stay in at lunch, I hadn't gotten to eat. I'd run back to the house and snuck a box of cereal up to the room in my backpack. I sat down to watch the girl dance and began to eat. I let myself get distracted; I didn't hear the door open…" Her voice grew quieter and strained, "He was so angry, the dad, he started to yell…I was a thief, an ungrateful bitch. There was nobody else in the house, just me and him alone. He came at me and I ducked, I felt the box be ripped from my grip and heard it hit the wall seconds later.

I shrank into my seat; I was too scared to look away but so scared of the look in those eyes. He grabbed my shoulder and threw me to the ground. I rolled over and scrambled to get on my feet but I was knocked down again as the back of his hand made contact with my cheek. As my knees hit the ground I started to crawl towards the door, frightened beyond logical thought. But, he grabbed my hair and dragged me…dragged me to the bed."

My eyes flashed dangerously as I realized where this was headed. It took all my willpower to stop the protective angry snarl that built in my chest. I fought to keep my grip on her hand gentle as she stared blankly as something invisible, her eyes were glassy and far away. I knew she was remembering. "Tell me." I urged gently, "Let it out. Let me help." I wanted to do something, anything I could; I wanted to take her pain upon myself.

Her eyes stayed far away but her other hand clenched in her lap as she spoke again, "He threw me onto the bed and looked down on me with a sick leer. I didn't know what to do; my scream was stuck in my throat as fear paralyzed me. He started laughing, repeating how he'd wanted this for some time now. He told me to stop looking at him like that, that I'd learn to like it. He told me he wasn't going to be gentle, I didn't deserve it because I'd stolen from them after all they'd done for me. He told me it would hurt…but I'd learn that it was better that way." Her voice was hoarse and red clouded my vision as my mind created the scene.

"He knelt beside me on the bed, looming over me like a monster as he grinned evilly at me, I could smell the usual beer on his breath, drunk again. He straddled my hips and held my arms above me with one of his hands as his other tore my shirt from my body. I was only twelve…I'd only just started my period a few months before…but he seemed to think what little breasts I had were good enough. He bit and licked, I felt so disgusting, I felt like the very lowest of scum. But I couldn't scream…I couldn't move, my eyes were locked on the ceiling as I lay trapped beneath his giant body. He let my arms up for a moment and his weight was suddenly lifted off the mattress. I thought he was done for a moment; I let my eyes look away from the ceiling but instantly regretted it.

He'd taken his clothes off and as he approached me again it was as if my body had caught up with my mind and I sat up, barely reaching the end of the bed before his hand shoved me onto my back again. He tugged my pants off as I squirmed, telling me not to fight, that it was pointless and it would only make it harder on me. He tore my underwear off and forced my knees apart." She drew in a deep shuddering breath and the smell of salt joined with her scent, "I hit him as hard as I could but nothing even halted him, he took me. The pain was so bad that finally my scream managed to rip from my throat. I kept on screaming and crying as he took his pleasure laughing at my pointless struggles.

I heard steps in the hall and screamed louder, praying to anyone and anything to help me. But it was the eldest son and the mother. She looked upon the scene with dead eyes, not even flinching as I pleaded to her for help. She left the room as the father ordered her and he finished, gesturing at his son to come closer. He told him I was being punished and because I hadn't enjoyed it as he had told me to, I needed to be punished again. The son's smile matched his fathers perfectly as he began to remove his pants. I heard shouting then, a loud commotion at the front of the house and I screamed with all my might for help as the son climbed on top of me.

Three cops ran into the room a moment later and tore the son off of me. Two of them restrained the father and the other took down the son as they fought back." A shiver ran through her as her wet eyes closed, "I curled into a ball and cried I felt so broken…so filthy and soiled. I wanted it all to be a dream. I barely registered as a gently touch wrapped a blanket around me. It was the girl, the dancer from next door. She pulled me into her arms and carried me out to the front, an ambulance and child services car were already waiting. I saw the son and father being placed in a cop car while the youngest son stepped willingly into a child services car, backpack still on his shoulders. The mother was cuffed, already in a cop car, silent and sitting without argument.

The paramedics took me from her but she stayed next to me as they set me in the ambulance. She began to gently question me. I told her that it had been the first time and why and she nodded. The paramedics handed her a set of clothing and she shut the doors as she helped me get dressed. She told me she was sorry that this had happened to me but to not give up. She'd seen me watching her and before she climbed out of the ambulance she gently touched my non-bruised cheek. She told me that dancing was a great release of emotion, and that she hoped I would take my interest in it farther than watching. They took me to the hospital then and the rest is a blur." She opened her eyes again and wiped her tear stained cheeks with her hand.

"I was so glad I opened the window to hear the music that day, she heard me scream and called the cops. The cops let her help me because she knew I had been watching her, and she knew she was a familiar face." Her eyes were focused again and she looked up at me, "Nothing seemed to wrong with me after it happened. I mean, they put me in therapy and back in the home I wanted, the one Araceli was still at. I went back to school and to regular doctor visits for a year after that. I could have gotten pregnant but I hadn't, thankfully for my body was too young to handle it, and there were no outward signs of permanent damage. The doctor released me to take dance lessons and I've been dancing ever since." Her free hand moved to lie on my forearm and she sighed.

"But it did make you sick…right?" I was confused as to why she'd stopped talking.

She blinked a few times and then nodded, "Yes, sorry, I was pulling myself back together." She hesitated and seemingly reorganized her thoughts then started again, "Three years after that is when they noticed that something was really wrong with me. Since then I had gotten sick far easier than most of the other kids, but it had always been written off as I just didn't have as strong of an immune system. But a few months after I'd turned fifteen I was hit with the flu. It had gone around the home and nobody thought too much of it, but Araceli, who was graduated and living on her own then, came to see me and became suspicious. She took me to the doctors and they ran a few tests, it was the blood test that had the answer. It was my immune system that wasn't strong enough…it was being attacked. I had been infected with HIV."

As she looked at my face she fell silent. My jaw had clenched tightly but this time for a different reason. I knew what that was, I'd read about it plenty of times, I knew there was no cure, that it was deadly and it moved quickly. It made sense to me know why she had told me it was pointless to desert my post, why she thought she wasn't worth it…and I now knew of my only two options.

Either I kept running with her as if nothing had changed and enjoy every minute her sickness would allow, or I would have to change her before she died…leaving her behind was not even an option worth considering.

"Do you get it now? Why this is such a waste of your time?" She asked quietly.

I had questions but first I had to dissuade those thoughts from ever entering her mind again, "Ayanna…I've already told you that I care greatly for you…when something touches the heart of one my kind it is unchangeable and irreversible, and you have touched mine. I don't ever desire your absence. However…I realize human hearts are not so, that they take time and can often change their minds…yours more so than others and understandably. But when the time comes I will be faced with an option…I can make you like me, and you'll be immobilized in death throughout time, or I will stay with you until you take your last breath from the living world…but I shall leave that up to you."

Her eyes were wide as she listened and the barest hint of a smile peeked from her lips, "Thank you." She said softly, then very, very slowly she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. My skin burned as well as my throat this time, that tiny touch had lit my ice cold skin on fire. Her small giggle pulled me back from my distraction and I refocused.

"How long is it that you think you have?" I asked the first question that came to mind.

"I don't honestly know…it could be months, could be weeks…depends on how severe this cold gets…my doctor told me I had a year, given that nothing went wrong." She replied calmly.

"And there is nothing you can take to help?"

"I have enough pills, pills that help my body fight, to last me two more months. I don't know if cold medicine would have any effect, or if it would disagree with my medication…I'd have to ask my doctor." She shrugged sadly.

"He is in New York?" She nodded, "Then we will make a very brief stop to see him." She nodded once more. "Then I will run you as quickly and directly as possible to the Cullen family, Carlisle is a very good doctor for humans from what I hear." She sat back against her seat tiredly without releasing my hand. "Ayanna?" I asked gently. Her head turned in my direction, "Before you sleep…can I ask you one more thing?"

"Of course."

"How is it…that after all that…you trusted enough to come into my tower, to stay with a strange family, to run with me across countless countries, and get into a truck with strange men in Lyon?" It had just occurred to me that she should be a suspicious person, yet she wasn't.

She licked her lips and spoke tiredly, "I've had five years to think about it, and I've realized that I've met a lot of people, kids at the home that were mean, kids that were withdrawn, some that were nice. Adults, like the dancer, that were genuine and caring, and then there's the cruel. I don't want to be a sad person, so affected by experience that I can no longer enjoy anything, I went through a phase like that and thankfully my dancing let me begin to enjoy things again. Then with my sickness…I've realized I don't have the time, or then energy to give to sadness. I don't have time to waste and play around with, I have to take every moment I have left within this body and enjoy life while I have the ability to. If I let myself be scared and sad…then I'll die a scared, sad person who never really lived."

All I could do was look at her, after a few silent moments between us I gently tucked a wave of her hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek gently with my thumb before withdrawing contact, "Sleep." I whispered and she closed her eyes with a smile, leaving me with my thoughts and inner turmoil.

**A/n: I know this chapter didn't really go anywhere, but obviously the story needed to be told. Thanks to my beta tigermoonlight67! Please review!**


	9. A Night in New York

**A/n: I know it's been forever but it's really long!! Enjoy!**

**A Night in New York**

Although every time the rough sound tore from her throat my breathing stopped, the coughing wasn't frequent enough to send me into a panic. The twenty three hour flight had some sort of lethargic pull on Ayanna, she spent the majority of it asleep, curled in the uncomfortable seat, giving me ample time to think. Her history had thrown my mind and emotions into turmoil as they hadn't been for a long time. As I watched her however, a calm feeling overpowered the anger of her past. In truth, we barely knew each other and yet I now knew that going back to any form of my past existence wasn't possible. But, cursing her to a dead existence with the Volturi after us…was that any better than death?

And, if she could hold out for that, would she want such a life? Forever with a being she barely knew. Of course, if I did change her, and she wished to leave, then I would let her. But, could I do it? Her scent was so alluring…the taste was sure to be overwhelming. Could her body even hold out against the venom?

My jaw set. I would get her to the doctor as soon as the plane landed. I would try and keep her healthy until she had decided.

Another rasping cough forced its way past her lips and I froze until it passed. She shifted slightly, coming out of her slumber. I froze again as her hand reached toward me blindly. I held my breath as she touched my arm, the heat from her fingers soaking through the sleeve of my shirt. I watched as her hand curled around the top of my forearm and she used it as leverage to pull herself closer. I stayed still as she leaned against my side, her grip loosening as she tucked her arm through mine and settled down.

Carefully I inhaled slowly, savoring the smell as a fire was ignited in my throat. I wasn't sure how she was comfortable against my rock shoulder but she didn't seem to mind. I fell into a steady pattern of shallow breathing as she dozed off again. I relished in her nearness as my unoccupied arm lifted so I could play idly with the hair that spilled over my shoulder. A smile dominated my face for the duration of the flight.

As the plane reached the end of its descent I gently roused her before the wheels made impact.

"Wha- Oh!" She jumped as the plane lurched.

"I apologize. It would have hurt had your head hit my shoulder." I explained.

"Oh." She nodded and yawned. Suddenly she realized that she had hold of my arm.

"Oh!" she exclaimed and she quickly let go, "I didn't realize."

I smiled ruefully at her, "Had it been unpleasant I would have woken you earlier."

She gave me a shy smile then yawned again, "So we're here…New York?" She asked.

"Indeed. Where is your doctor?" I asked, anxious to find her reprieve.

"At home with his family I would guess. It's nine o'clock, the office is closed." She laughed.

I let loose a low frustrated growl; I didn't think I could handle any more of her coughing, "When does it open?" I asked in a tense voice.

"Eight…" I could feel her watching me, "Hey…" She tentatively touched my forearm again, "I'll be fine."

Carefully I reined in my anger and lightly touched her fingers with my other hand then stood up, "Let's go."

She stood too then waited for me, rolling her eyes as I carried both the bags. AS we stepped out of the airport into the night of New York, with me standing as close to her back as I dared, Ayanna sighed, "I'm home."

o0o0o0o0o

"So you don't need the cloak at night right?" She asked, glancing back at me as I followed her under the overhang that surrounded the airports main building.

"No. It will be fine."

"Even the city lights won't affect you?"

"Artificial lighting is of no concern." I assured her.

A slow grin split her lips, "Great! I know where we can stay for the night that's kinda cheap."

"Money is of no concern either." I frowned at her.

I light laugh was her response, "No need to be wasteful." She murmured. With that she stepped out to the curb and lifted a hand above her head, "Taxi!" A yellow car came to a screeching halt closer to her than I was comfortable with, but Ayanna simply pulled the door open and looked over her shoulder, "Well? Come on!" She said excitedly.

I gave her and the car a dubious look, I didn't like not knowing where I was headed, but I stepped towards her and climbed into the car's backseat with the bags. She slid in after me and leaned up to speak to the driver, "241st street please." She sat back as the car shot off into the night of New York.

It was confining in that hot car. Thankfully the drivers scent was not appealing at all. I watched out the windows warily as lights, buildings and thousands of people flashed by. My gaze flickered back and forth as the sights flew by until I heard one of our bags shift. I glanced at the seat to see Ayanna where I had placed the bags.

"What is it?" Her brow was furrowed and concern washed through me as her azure gaze scanned my face. At my question her eyes locked onto mine.

"It can be overwhelming at first, I know." She murmured, her voice easily covered by the driver's obnoxiously loud music.

"It is…busy, and crowded." I replied, glancing back out the window as I spoke.

"That's New York." Her laughed was interrupted by a cough. "Hey Garrett?" Her next words were slow, I looked back at her curiously, it was not a tone that I was used to.

"Yes?" I urged as she hesitated.

"I know you probably have it handled but…" She licked her lips and looked away for a moment.

As she had done earlier on the plane I gently placed my fingers on her forearm. She looked at it in surprise but didn't flinch away, much to my pleasure, and smiled up at me for a moment. But as she met my gaze it faded as did the warmth in my chest that had accompanied her grin, "What? You can talk to me."

Her lips pulled slightly upward again and she took a deep breath, "It's just…you haven't had anything to drink in a while…and…"She leaned in closer, "Your eyes are pure black, and you told me that…you were dangerous when that happened."

Comprehension took hold of me and I realized that her hesitation had sprouted from not wanting to offend me, not from fear. She was right of course, but I was ashamed to admit that I hadn't quite figured out how to manage my thirst yet. I had limited supply of blood; it required no hunting so I had control of my senses while I was around it. I had never had any reason to act out of the norm while drinking it. The smell, while enticing, had never altered my behavior before so I knew I could drink it around Ayanna without putting her in danger. There were two problems with that.

Primarily, I wasn't sure that I could handle Ayanna's reaction to my sipping the blood of her kind, it was sure to not be a pleasant reaction. So far she'd taken my revelations in stride and I was positive any disgust shown on her part would hurt me. I could drink it as she slept but so far that'd been impossible. The first night I'd carried her while she slept. The second night I had selfishly laid across from her, that was my fault. The third time she had slept was on the plane, not exactly a prime area for pulling out a jar of human blood. It had only been three days but since I was accustomed to having a jar a day three days was a long time.

Secondly, and more serious than my fear of her reaction, was that I only had nine jars left. If I could push myself and only drink when needed then I could stretch my supply, but it still wouldn't last long enough, especially if three days had Ayanna worrying. But how was I supposed to hunt with Ayanna with me? I had to keep an eye on her, especially with this new development in her sickness. And, where? We'd been in populated places since we'd left.

Ayanna's hand curled around mine, drawing me out of my thoughts. My distraction had only lasted a few seconds but compared to my usual immediate replies it seemed that she had noticed the difference. "I'll take care of it." I focused on her face, "I promise it will be fine, I have it under control."

Ever so gently I squeezed her hand in reassurance. If she was going to protest it was cut off my the driver, "That'll be forty eight dollars lady." My brow creased at his poor manners toward Ayanna. I reached my hand out to make him think we'd paid, but Ayanna gently took that hand and pulled it back. She drew money out of her bag and handed it to him.

"It's a hard life, being a cabby, that's their livelihood." She explained in a low voice as we climbed from the car. She bent back in and I swallowed hard; her legs were really too long for their own good. She handed me my bag but when I reached for hers she instead shyly took my hand in hers. "Guys in this part of town aren't as chivalrous as you Adonis. Best to blend in…" She looked at me with a quick grin, "Well, as much as you can anyway."

For the first time I took in our latest surroundings. It was definitely different than where the airport was located…rougher.

A tug on my hand drew my attention again, "Come on, God boy, I don't want the girls around here to get any ideas. There's only enough of you for one."

Something odd in my chest occurred at her words, and I couldn't help but smile in triumph as she turned to walk. We did attract quite a bit of attention, Ayanna as much so as me to my extreme dissatisfaction. Despite the hour there was quite a large amount of humans out on the streets. Eyes followed our progress but Ayanna didn't seem to notice as she led the way. After a few minutes of walking I still didn't see anything that could resemble our destination. All that occupied this street were small, darkened businesses. I was becoming more and more guarded as we continued.

"Ayanna, are you sure this place will be suitable?" I questioned.

She glanced up at me with an amused expression, "Yes, unless you absolutely need a five star resort."

"Anywhere is fine with me, but I am concerned with your safety and comfort." I frowned.

She laughed and glanced up at me again, "Trust me, I've stayed in places worse than where we're going. And, who could hurt me with my own personal, not to mention indestructible, bodyguard?"

I let it lay, my doubts swayed for a moment, but I was perversely curious as to what conditions she had been forced to live in before. Her grip on my hand changed. Her fingers threaded through mine as her pace abruptly slowed. Her gaze had turned wary and she adjusted her bag on her shoulder to sit more securely. I followed her line of sight to a group of darkly dressed people ahead of us, music was blaring from somewhere within them. I could smell them, they were standing in a rough circle and they seemed to be worked up over something they were watching in the middle. The blood was pumping through them, and whether it was from anger or excitement I cursed my thirst as I became extremely aware of a burn in my throat.

"We're gonna go around them, but if they talk to me…just stay quiet." Ayanna's voice was tense.

"Who are they?"

Her reply didn't come for several long moments, "Former acquaintances you could say." She finally muttered.

As we neared them she edged closer to me. The burn increased, but the waves of tension rolling off of her kept me focused. We stepped off the sidewalk to go around the large group. Unexpectedly the music cut off, Ayanna's grip tightened around my icy hand and we continued to walk.

"Ay! That you Chispa?"

Ayanna froze, "Fuck." She cursed under breath. Slowly she turned to face whoever had spoken. "Lupe, how's it?" she greeted tensely. Had I been human I was positive Ayanna's grip would have bruised my hand.

"You wasn't gonna walk by us with no greetin' right?" I could now see a dark haired Latin girl as the group parted. On the surface the words were friendly but Ayanna never relaxed and I could hear the threatening undertone.

"I didn't want to interrupt." Ayanna spoke in a falsely calm voice.

"Where you been at? That guy from your new crew? You know better than to come rollin down our streets after what you done."

"I don't have a crew Lupe, never did," There was a sudden spike in angry mutters from the group, "I left New York."

"Not smart chica, caused a lot a fuckin' trouble for us."

"How's that? I never formally joined your crew, Jesus and I had an agreement."

"You left us hangin'. Lost us big ass money to the Dristal crew, you hurt our rep. We got a bit of a score to settle wit' you Chispa."

The friendly overlay had evaporated and Ayanna's expression twisted in anger, "Shouldn't have taken the challenge, not my problem."

"You know we don't never back down!" The girl stepped forward angrily.

I slid a half step in front of Ayanna as she retorted angrily, "Jesus recruited me, not the other way around. He knew I was leaving, you were lucky I agreed to step with you at all. You got a problem with it then take it up with him." Ayanna's voice was harsher than I'd ever heard it.

The girl released a cruel laugh, "Jesus was gettin' lazy. He got popped for possession two days after you bounced. I run this crew now and I say if you step wit' us then you're one of us and desertin' your crew ain't okay." The threats hung thickly in the air and I barely restrained a snarl.

Ayanna's clenched audibly, "That's to damn bad, I ain't sticking around. I'll be outta here again by morning."

"You won't go nowhere until your debt is paid." The girl smirked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What the hell do you want from me?"

"The cops been all over lately, we got a drop tonight and you're gonna make it."

Ayanna's stare was cold, "Hell no. I don't use or sell, I won't touch that shit."

A cruel smile twisted the girl's lips, "Then you'll pay up with the induction you skipped."

The group began to slowly surround us. Ayanna's eyes were wide and she spun to face me, I didn't understand what the girl had meant but the sudden fear in Ayanna's expression clarified it well enough for me. We were standing only an inch apart as she whispered quickly, "Take us through the alley, turn left and head for the Mela Motel. Go as fast as you can without looking suspicious, we don't wanna end up on the news."

"Get them." I heard the snap of fingers and Ayanna pressed herself against me as the bodies around us began to close in. They meant to harm her, I understood now that to them the only way to repay her debt was in blood. I picked her up and turned towards the alley as the first human reached us. As he lunged I dropped my shoulder into his chest and he crumpled to the side. I ran then, forcing my way through the mob as Ayanna curled in on herself against my chest. We neared the beginning of the alley and I heard Ayanna scream but I didn't have time to pause. I pushed through the last of them and a scent hit me. I shuddered to a stop in the shadows a predatory growl rippling in my chest.

Ayanna was clutching her upper arm with fear in her eyes, "Let me down Garrett!" She whimpered, reading the bloodlust in my eyes.

I could see it now, the delicious red liquid seeping out from between her fingers. A snarl broke free and my hand came up to grip her throat. I tipped her head back; it was too late, and it would save me from that horrid coughing anyway. Her bag was shoved into my face as she vainly tried to escape her death. Her legs dropped from my hold and her scream of pain as her neck twisted in my grip. Something struck me from behind next. I roared in frustration as I was struck again. I turned, releasing the throbbing neck in my hand and grabbed the two closest men, biting their necks to silence them. Then the screams of horror around me meant nothing as the warm liquid touched my lips and began to soothe the burn in my throat.

o0o0o0o0o

My mind came back to me after the second body was drained. The alley was empty save for the two corpses beside me and the various rudimentary weapons that littered the ground, dropped in the hasty flight of the humans. With a growl I slammed my fist into the wall before me and leaned my forehead on the brick.

Although my thirst was as sated as it could be it had come at much too high a cost. Not only had I taken the lives of two humans but Ayanna had seen it. '_Ayanna… '_I thought miserably to myself, I'd been worried about her reaction to me drinking blood from a jar and now I…I had hurt her. She would want nothing to do with me now and I wouldn't blame her.

I pulled my fist from its hole in the wall and stared at the bodies, disgusted with myself. I'd take care of the corpses, and then turn myself into the Volturi. Ayanna would be better off without me. I used my speed to sneak through the cloaking darkness with the corpses over my shoulder. I chose a car parked deep in the shadows and punched in the window. I set the bodies in seats and hotwired the ignition as a book I had once read had instructed. I drew a lighter out of my bag and lit the interior on fire. Then I gave the car a hard shove and retreated into another alley. With a crash the car hit a wall and seconds later exploded and the bodies were lost in an inferno. Finished I slid my bag off of my shoulders and replaced the lighter. I stared at the contents of the bag for several long moments.

I had all the food. My decision to leave her suddenly didn't seem so wise. An image of Ayanna flashed through my mind: She was hurt, staggering under the weight of her bag as her tired body begged to give into the sickness. I couldn't forget that there were also humans after her. In my mind's eye a man with a baseball bat lifted it as he snuck behind her. I stood quickly and stole off into the alley. Before I relieved her of my presence I would make sure she was as safe as I could make her.

Only minutes later I stood outside the motel door that was heaviest with her scent. I could still smell her blood in the air but it no longer held any draw for me. I closed my eyes for a moment before I lifted my fist and knocked. A sink that had been running inside shut off and I heard slow steps come towards the door. I could hear her breathing as she paused on the other side of the door, a full minute passed and my jaw clenched in self-directed anger. Then I heard metal rub against metal and seconds later her voice carried out to me.

"Garrett!" He voice sounded relieved, for what absurd reason I could not imagine, but regardless the door remained shut, "Are you…okay now?"

"Yes…I'm so sorry Ayanna, I won't harm you." Even I could hear the sadness in my voice.

Silence again before I heard the locks clicking. The door knob turned slowly and the door squeaked open an inch. "Come in." Her voice was hesitant and I resisted the urge to bang my fist against the wall again. I pushed the door open with my fingertips and stepped in. She was several feet away from the door, her legs touching the side of the bed. I shut the door slowly before I looked up to meet her gaze.

She was watching me carefully, "You're really okay?"

I nodded, "I won't hurt you, ever again." I whispered.

Her head tilted to the side and she took a slow step towards me. I grimaced as she limped slightly. Her lips were parted as she even breathed carefully. I made no move towards her as she continued her slow progress towards me. She stopped just inches away and studied my eyes for a moment. I was sure the glistening crimson, more vivid than she had ever seen them, would send her screaming across the room. Instead she let out yet another relieved sigh and her arms surprised me by locking around my waist. My breath caught and I quickly shrugged my bag off and tossed it onto the floor, then I returned her embrace. I felt strange as my chest locked down and my shoulders shook slightly. I buried my face in her hair and suddenly realized what this was; I was crying in the only way a vampire could.

"I was so worried." She whispered against my chest. I froze and gently pushed her away.

"_You _were worried?" I questioned her sanity with her tone.

"Yes! I was worried; I was so scared you wouldn't come back!" She exclaimed, striking a defiant pose with her hands on her hips.

Slowly I brushed my fingers over where she had bandaged her arm with a ripped shirt. "I shouldn't have." I gently tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at the bruise my grip on her neck had caused, "But I worried about _you. _Sick and hurt with a New York mob after you."

I blinked in surprise when she laughed, "They won't mess with me now! I have my own personal assassin." Her voice turned solemn, "If you stick around, that is."

"I'll ensure that you're safe from everything else before I leave." I promised.

Abruptly she was furious, "Look here, Adonis, you got me into this and you will not leave me alone in it!" She poked me in the chest with a brandished finger. I gently took her hand and looked at her as I slowly brought it to my mouth kissing the back very softly.

Her lips quivered slightly as I held her hand to my cheek, "I'm safe to be near you right now, but I can't always promise you that, I'll simply turn myself over to the Volturi and you'll be safe to live the rest of your life."

Her jaw clenched and she jerked her hand back from me, "NO! Do you really think that's going to solve anything?! It won't! I still know about you and they're still going to come after me, whether you give yourself over or not!" She was screaming at me but with a few deep breaths she began to plead, "Is it really that much to ask of you? I don't have much time left and I don't want to spend it scared…is it so hard for you to take a few weeks out of your eternity to spend with a sick girl? When they find us I promise I'll turn myself over and be out of your hair but please just stay with me…let me have a bit of a fairytale…just for a little while." She had backed up to the bed and collapsed there when she stopped talking.

It hurt. It hurt more than I would have ever guessed to see her in pain, to hear her plead with me. I couldn't think straight, part of me wanted to give in, to be selfish and keep her to myself forever. But, the better side of me knew that I was dangerous. An angry rumble pushed its way through my lips and my hand came up to my forehead as I thought.

"Please Garrett…it's just a month…"

That did it. I growled at the words but she didn't flinch. "Do you think it's easy for me to sit here and watch you hurt? To know that I can only have you for a short time after over a century of waiting? To know that I can only keep you if I make you like me?! And on top of it all to know that I'm the most dangerous threat around you? A month isn't long enough Ayanna!" I snarled, "But I don't know how to fix it."

She was gaping at me but after a moment she collected herself and patted the bed beside her, "Come here." Silently I obeyed and sat down on the hard mattress, "Please just trust me…we can do this, but only if we're together. Let's just let it play out and it'll work out." I scoffed and shook my head. "Hey, it seems that we both agree that we want to stay together, so why are you going to hurt both of us by taking yourself away? I'm not scared of you. You are what you are and I'm okay with that, so just deal with it." Her tone was playful and as was her intention I couldn't help but smile.

"In the morning you go to the doctor." I said firmly, "Then we run until we reach Alaska."

"Deal." She agreed readily. She pushed off the bed and walked, as fast as her leg would permit into the bathroom. Moments later she came out in her pajamas and crawled into the bed where I still sat.

I shifted to look down on her as she pulled up the sheets, "I know the neck and arm are my fault, what happened to your leg?"

"When I…fell," she hedged.

"When I dropped you." I corrected with a sigh.

"Hey! Be happy! Despite the arguments and slight battle wounds, we made progress today!"

"Like what?" I scoffed.

"Like…" She shifted up into a sitting position and carefully leaned toward me, cautioning me with her opalescent blue eyes, her eyes stayed open as her face neared mine. I held my breath and stayed motionless, not trusting myself as her hands came up to hold my cheeks. Then her lips touched mine. The delicious warmth set my lips on fire that was wonderfully different than the usual burn in my throat. Seconds later she pulled back and dropped her hands, backing away quickly to rest on her pillows, "that."

**A/n: Okay, there it is, hoped you liked it! I just want to say, if you have alerted or favorited my story…please review. That means you like it so it'd be nice to hear. And all of you new readers, I'd love to hear from you too!**

**Thanks to my betas: Tigermoonlight67 and Zoe, you guys are the best! **


	10. Racing Time

**A/n: ****I'm not sure if anyone is actually reading this story aside from my fabulous beta and my best friend but if there is, enjoy!**

**Racing Time**

A slow smile crept up on me as the tingle slowly faded from my lips. I met her embarrassed gaze and flashed my teeth in a full fledged grin, "Progress is…good."

She let out self-conscious giggle as her cheeks flushed a bright pink, "I'm glad." She breathed quietly.

Carefully I leaned over her and brushed her fiery hair from her red cheek. I bent and pressed my lips softly to the bandage on her arm, taking immense delight in her astonished gasp, then lifted my face to hers, holding my breath as I pressed my mouth to her unbearably soft lips. My hand moved from her hair to her cheek as I held her still and after a few, far too short, moments I pulled away, grinning at the red that spotted her cheeks.

The mood was brusquely interrupted by a ripping cough. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth as her chest heaved off of the bed with the force. My jaw tightened and I lifted my palm to gently smooth her furrowed brow as she fought to gain control over the sudden coughing fit. Finally with a sigh she collapsed and looked up at me with tired eyes. My hand slid gently back to her cheek as I reveled in the closeness that the newly broken touch barrier allowed. Her eyelids drooped heavily as she laid her hand over the back of mine, "Sleep." I murmured, as I settled myself comfortably beside her, prepared to watch over her for the night.

o0o0o0o

I'd never dreaded the morning so much as I did when the clock finally ticked to seven thirty. It'd been a rough night for Ayanna. She'd been woken up three separate times by the same hacking cough that I'd become so disturbingly accustomed too. So when the second hand told me that it was officially seven thirty, and that I could not let her sleep any longer, as much as I wanted to, I regretfully shook her shoulder.

Almost immediately her eyes opened, and with a resigned sigh she yawned and rubbed her face with open palms. She groaned as she dropped her hands heavily back upon the scratchy sheets and then slowly sat up, valiantly trying to hide a grimace of pain. I exhaled heavily as I beat back the guilt, forcing myself to remember Ayanna's words the night before.

She seemed to sense what was distracting me and with a smile, a soft hand on my upper arm and a single quiet, "Together," she pulled herself off of the creaking mattress. I nodded firmly to myself as she riffled through her bag for a fresh set of clothes. Only a few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom in a loose long-sleeved shirt that effectively hid the bandage on her arm. She'd left her hair down as usual, which would hide the bruises on her neck so long as it sat partially over her shoulders. And the knee length denim on her legs bared just enough skin to tease me. "Okay, let's get going." She took a deep breath and bent to pick up her bag.

I was before her in half of a heartbeat, shouldering her bag before her fingers could wrap around the handle. She shot me a wry smile and headed to the door, with enough of last night's limp to make me frown.

I forced myself to focus on a plan instead of worrying and wondering how she had made it up the stairs last night as we descended them in the refreshing morning light. We'd made it to the bottom when she looked up at me with a smile and then gasped in shock. Her eyes widened in panic and the smile slid from her lips quickly.

"Your cloak!" she hissed urgently.

A shock of fear jolted through me as I quickly surveyed our surroundings while dropping my bag and reaching in quickly for my heavy cloak. In the midst of berating myself for foolishness I swung it in a wide circle and settled it firmly on my shoulders, jerking the hood up, all within three seconds. Ayanna was looking around us carefully, but I'd already confirmed that nobody had seen the sunlight against my skin.

I growled to myself, "I'm sorry," I muttered.

"It's okay; it was a mistake, and you have had more than enough reason to be distracted. Let's just get going." She pointed at a tall white building, "That's the doctor's office." With a nod, I followed her to the sidewalk wishing that I could merely scoop her up and run instead of watching her walk painfully beside me.

The urge only grew as we rounded the first street corner. She was fighting the limp as best she could and, to a human who knew no difference, she was more than likely walking quite normally. But, either due to my enhanced vision or extreme awareness of her pain, it seemed like her knee was on the verge of collapsing from beneath her. Unfortunately, the need to appear normal was essential; a man burdened with two bags, and carrying a rather tall woman, walking into a doctor's office would surely have the opposite effect.

Finally, we were walking through the automatic glass doors and into the lobby. I impatiently waited while the elevator took its sweet time arriving as Ayanna doubled over in yet another coughing fit. I nudged her in through the doors as she clutched at her chest and covered her mouth. As the elevator dinged to alert us to our arrival on the correct floor she finally stood up, clearing her throat.

I followed closely behind her as she approached the front desk. She smiled at the woman manning the computer and leaned lightly against the front counter. Despite everything, I found myself distracted with the way her lean form curved. Her long legs looked more delicious every time I looked at them, and not in a way that made me thirsty. I closed my eyes tightly and refocused as the gentle scratch of a pen on paper began.

"Yes, it's urgent; I'm leaving the area today, so I need to see him as soon as possible." Ayanna's voice was soft.

The woman nodded in understanding, "I'll talk to him now. It's good to see you looking so well, Ayanna." The woman's voice held a tinge of sadness that twisted in my gut.

Ayanna gave her an oddly forced smile, whispered her thanks, and then led me to a set of chairs that was isolated from the others. "I hate pity," she muttered suddenly.

The dark look on her face was surprising as she glared at her hands broodingly. After a long moment of hesitation, I reached out to test the latest touch barrier and tucked her hair behind her ear before cupping her chin. "It is only those who don't know you who would dare pity you."

Her confusion was apparent as she looked up at me. "What do you mean?"

"Those who allow themselves to become depressed or refuse to come to terms with their situation are the ones that warrant pity. People like you, who have realized what lies in their future but still manage to be kind, to love what life you're going to get, and to truly laugh and smile…you should pity others for not having the ability to appreciate things as you do."I spoke fiercely.

Her eyes were watery and, with a choked laugh, the tears spilled onto her cheeks. "That is the most miserable, yet the sweetest thing that's ever been said to me."

I chuckled self-consciously and leaned in, kissing her forehead very softly. I was forced to pull back as her name was called and she stood. With a reassuring stroke of her fingers against my cheek she walked through the door to the back offices.

And then I was alone. There were only two other people in the room aside from the receptionist. It was a father and his daughter, sitting quietly as they watched a children's movie. The little girl had a cast on her right arm and was carefully holding it to her chest as she sat, comfortably reclined on her father's lap. A surprising amount of envy rushed through me while I sat there watching them. My chance at ever being a father had been ripped from me, and seeing the absolute adoration on the man's face ignited a hatred of my creator in my chest that had lain dormant for many years.

I looked away and rested my head against the wall behind me pointlessly. Had I been human, I knew that I would have been completely and utterly exhausted from all the emotions that had been resurfacing after so long a time. But I knew without a doubt that I wouldn't have traded anything in the last few days for less confusion.

Once again, the uncertainty of what I was exposing Ayanna to rose in my mind. She was right; I couldn't bear the idea of her dying and leaving this world, yet I couldn't condone keeping her to myself forever. I'd been over these arguments again and again, but no solution ever seemed to present itself. The selfish side of me reasoned that I wouldn't be robbing her of anything, really. She would never have had children or lived a long life if I left her on her own, so what harm was there in giving her a second chance at life? But I couldn't shake the guilty feeling those thoughts carried; an existence of killing and hiding was no exchange for finally having peace.

I refocused on happier memories, recalling the image of Ayanna dancing in the clearing. A lazy smile pulled at the corners of my mouth and I closed my eyes to savor the grace of her lean form as she circled and stepped behind my eyelids.

"I think you're the only person I've ever met who enjoys sitting in the doctor's office." My eyes snapped open and fell upon Ayanna as she strode toward me, the door to the back room still swinging closed behind her. Despite the playful words, her face was drawn and she was white-knuckling a piece of paper. I frowned up at her as she stopped before me, "You were sitting there all by yourself and smiling," she offered at my puzzled expression.

"Yes, I was thinking. What is wrong?" I wanted to know what had been said.

"I…" She looked over her shoulder at the receptionist, "I'll tell you when we head out," she whispered.

My eyebrows pulled together, but regardless of my worry I stood and gathered the bags. Ayanna hardly waited as she headed quickly towards the elevators. She was silent as we rode down, the elevator dinging with every floor we passed. We came to a stop on the third and she slid out between the doors as soon as the gap was big enough. Even after the two more seconds I had to wait to follow her, she had made it down the hallway and was slipping into a glass-walled room. I was hit with the smell of medication as I entered after her. Her hips rested against the counter as she leaned in to watch the man in a white lab coat search a shelf of yellow bottles.

Without a word he handed her a large bottle filled with ovular white pills. She nodded her thanks with a forced smile and turned to me, tipping her head back towards the elevators. I matched her quickened pace out of the building and across the street, where she hailed a cab. We were equally silent during the ride from the big city to the suburbs and then another hour into the countryside where the buildings became increasingly sparse. Finally, she stopped the cabbie outside of a very large barn and paid him his hefty fee. We were standing in the dust the car's wheels kicked up and watching the yellow disappear into the distance together when I decided my patience was expired.

"Okay, now talk." I was frustrated; she was acting odd, quiet, and withdrawn, which was the exact opposite of her normal persona. It frightened me, this change; it tortured me with the knowledge that whatever the doctor had told her could make this difference permanent. I wanted to keep my Ayanna.

Her eyebrow lifted at my demand but she sighed nonetheless, breaking the silence. "His diagnosis…wasn't good."

"What did he say?" I pushed.

She spun away from me and ran her hands through her hair, "Garrett…" Her voice was pained, "Do you think you could hug me?" she whispered.

Silently and gently I spun her towards me; with a quick look around, I pulled her into my arms and took off, distancing myself from prying eyes. A few minutes and a few miles away, I dropped the bags from my shoulder and tucked her against my chest, rubbing her back gently.

Quiet sobs shook her body as she cried against my shoulder. Instinctively I rocked her from side to side while I held my breath and buried my face in her hair. After a few moments, she calmed down enough to pull back. She took a few deep, ragged breaths and clutched at my cloak. I kept my arms loosely around her.

"I'm sorry…" she choked out, "I keep telling myself that I'm resigned, but…every time I get a new deadline, I break down all over again."

"Deadline?" I asked tensely.

She licked her lips and fingered the edge of my cloak, "I've got a month, maybe."

"Impossible." My snarl finally drew her gaze and she looked up at me in shock.

"I was warned that getting sick would advance my condition even further, and I got sick…" she stared at me helplessly.

My hands shook with anger and I forced myself to release her as I stalked away furiously, "He was supposed to HELP you!" I growled. I felt an almost undeniable urge to hunt down the men who had done this to her and then go back to the doctor and force him to help her. Red flashed in my vision, and I tore into a young sapling, pulling it from the ground and throwing it as far as my strength allowed. I had turned to the dirt road when the smell of saline hit my senses.

Instantly, my mind cleared, and I rushed to Ayanna. Silent tears coursed down her cheeks, but she met my gaze without fear. "I'm sorry," I whispered, "I won't hurt you."

She gave me a watery smile, then stepped forward slowly and leaned against me, "I know; I just wish…I wish I could stop this from hurting you."

I closed my eyes against the pain her words inspired, "This is not your fault," I murmured. Carefully, I cupped her burning cheeks in my palms and tipped her head back so I could see her face. "And I will never regret sharing this time with you."

Her eyes closed, and she let her cheek nuzzle into one of my hands as her hands came up to hold mine in place. As I stared at her, I knew that no matter how long I existed, with or without her, I would never forget how she looked in that moment. A peaceful expression on her pale face, her lips were curled up at the corners, her unruly curls spilling every which way and her eyes closed. She looked every part an angel. My angel.

Regretfully, I needed more information, and we needed to move. So, with a quick kiss to her forehead, I removed my hands from her cheeks and replaced them around her waist. "Ayanna, I need to know what he told you."

Her hands came up to rest on my chest and she nodded, "This cold that I have, under normal circumstances, would be harmless, but for me it won't go away. It will progress quickly; he guessed that it will become pneumonia before too long which, to someone with a weak immune system like mine, will be fatal. He said that I will more than likely develop symptoms quickly over the next week, and I will be weakened severely." She sighed and squeezed her eyes closed for a moment. Once her composure was secure again, she wiggled slightly in my arms. I held my breath; for once, it was not because her _blood _was tempting me. Finally, she stopped squirming against me and withdrew the pill bottle from her pocket. "These are supposed to help me handle the symptoms, so the cough won't be quite as frequent, and the fever not so taxing, but they won't stop the pneumonia. The best they can do is buy a little time."

As seemed to be increasingly common of late, my mind was thrown into a mass of swirling thoughts. I shook my head, trying to clear it but the questions, concerns, solutions, and the panic refused to release their hold on the inside of my skull. "Okay." I tried to think around the ramifications and into the immediate future. "We're going to run; we're going to talk to the Cullens. One of them is a brilliant doctor. Maybe he will have some way to help. And maybe they'll have somewhere we can stay, somewhere you'll be comfortable."

She smiled slowly, "Okay. We can figure things out when we get there, but let's get there as fast as we can, okay?"

I shouldered the bags and then scooped her up into the cradle of my arms. "Three days," I promised.

She tucked her head into my shoulder and closed her eyes, "I trust you."

With the warm fuel those words sent coursing through my body, I took off, running as fast as I could westward.

**A/n: So if anyone out there is reading this, please review, it would mean the world to me.**


	11. Authors note

Dear readers,

Hi, this is Zara if any of you are still out there checking in on my stories, I bow to you and am so grateful. I promised myself I'd never do this but what can I say, I owe it to all of you. I quite clearly went through a lapse in my writing, and for a while I just didn't feel inspired to try and pick it back up. However, I am happy to relay that I have the first 4 pages of a chapter done and its making quick progress. Its October 10, 2010 today and I am making a vow to my readers, my characters, and myself to have a chapter updated on each of my three fanfictions by November 1, 2010. With college consuming much of my time, that seems reasonable to me. Please keep an eye out for it is entirely possible that I will be updating quicker than my deadline. I hope I have not lost you all and hope to hear from you following my upcoming chapters.

Until then,

Zara


	12. Adonis

**A/n: So this is later than my goal…but at least it's here! **

Adonis

A good portion of the morning was already gone by the time I started running. Ayanna was silent as she leaned against my hard chest. She worried me, although the tears had subsided her face was solemn and her pale countenance scared me more than anything I had ever experienced over the course of my death. She couldn't die, I wouldn't allow it. I wanted her to be the woman I had met in the day of the rainstorm, laughing and bright, practically glowing from within. All that was left was to find a way to give her that.

It was shocking to me still how deeply I felt for this human girl after so short a time…especially knowing so little about her. But I knew there was nothing I could do about it, nor did I have any desire to get rid of it. I swerved gently and ducked into a forest, thankful for the cover of trees as I pushed my running to its limit.

"Kinda crazy isn't it," Ayanna suddenly murmured.

"What is?"

"All this, you even existing, me meeting you, going on some adventure like this." She shrugged.

"I suppose this is quite unexpected." I nodded slightly as I darted between trees.

"Very unexpected, I fully expected to die in the hospital Araceli next to me. Now I have…whatever you are…and this crazy, unreal chase."

My chest tightened with her words, "Please don't talk like that Ayanna."

Her light laugh took me by surprise, "I would think death would be a comfortable topic for a vampire."

I smiled, "Perhaps death in general, but not when it applies to you."

"Fair enough I guess, so where are we?"

"Somewhere in Indiana." I shrugged, "We'll make it to South Dakota before nightfall and that's where we'll stop. I looked down when she did not reply; she was looking at me through narrowed eyes, her head cocked oddly to the side. "Yes?"

"Well I know I asked and everything…but how the hell do you know that? We're in a random bit of forest, and you're from Europe…did we pass a sign and I just missed it?"

I laughed, the sound echoing off the trees, "I guess that wouldn't make sense to you."

A little brightness returned to her eyes as she grinned up at me, "Don't tell me you have a built in GPS too Adonis."

My laugh was louder this time and I shook my head, "No, not at all, but we do have photographic memories."

Ayanna threw her hands up and rolled her eyes, "Of course you do."

"I spent a long time on my own, my only luxury was reading," I smiled, "I've read many, many books, on a huge variety of subjects, maps included. There were several I looked at on the United States all on different scales, I know about how many miles I cover an hour and how many miles it is from state to state…so we should be somewhere in Indiana."

I wasn't sure if her slack jawed expression was a compliment or an insult. She shook her head, "Well alright then, sounds logical to me." Silence reigned for a few moments again before she spoke again, "So...tell me about yourself Adonis."

That question caught me off guard. I hesitated a moment before answering, "You know most there is to know."

"Most is not all, so there's got to be something." She smiled.

"Fair enough…what haven't I told you? I told you everything I can remember about my past."

"Well what about this life?"

I scoffed, "This is existence is hardly what I would call a life."

"How can you say that?" Her affronted tone shocked me, "If I had a second chance I certainly wouldn't take it for granted, you got a chance to live in a way that allows you to do incredible things, with no time limit or rush…how can you hate that?"

I had no answer; I slowed a little so I could study her face for a moment. I was silent for several miles before I could formulate any sort of response. "I suppose I never had that point of view presented to me before." I sped around some trees and diverted north slightly to avoid an upcoming road, "You have to understand though, I wasn't done with my other life when I was…handed…this one, it was no choice of mine."

"They just kidnapped you one night or something?" She snickered.

She was joking, but she was right, "More or less. I was nineteen years old, in the prime of my manhood, I was beginning to court a girl…I can't even recall her name now…I was learning the tricks of my father's trade and building a savings, I was going to have a decent life. But Aro saw me one day, he spoke to me that evening, gave me the chills, talking about how talented I was and how he had an opportunity some would kill for. Which is no exaggeration, there are few ways to become a vampire, but killing is one of them."

"How does that work?"

I sighed; this was not something I enjoyed talking about. "There are vampires all over the world, very little in comparison with humans, but a decent amount. The most common ways vampires are formed are when a human is discovered that can be considered valuable, when a human has an extreme desire to be a vampire and searches us out, then they must prove their worth and often the Volturi makes sure they can stomach what they do before they will change them. And, of course there is the newest way, which is still somewhat frowned upon, when a vampire finds a suitable mate among the humans." I avoided looking at her.

I could smell her cheeks flood with the blood of a blush however, "A-ah, well I see…" She stuttered and cleared her throat. "And um you were the valuable type?"

I too cleared my throat and nodded, "Yes, Aro offered an opportunity, but said nothing of what it required; he said if I was interested he could make me into a man who could have all the power over people that I desired. Being naïve and power hungry I assumed he meant teaching me how to sway a crowd even better than I already did, ignoring my instinct that he was not trustworthy. I agreed, and he said that in three days' time I would see the results if we started that night." I laughed harshly, "Isn't it funny? The man who thought he could persuade anyone was so easily persuaded.

"I agreed nonetheless and he said he would be back when the town had gone to sleep. I had gone to sleep after a while of waiting but was awakened by ice cold hands lifting me from my bed. I didn't fully wake up till I felt cold air rush past my face and I realized we were flying through the air. It was Felix who had gotten me and he landed moments later in front of a waiting Aro. The last words I heard with my human ears were 'and now we begin'. Indeed it did begin, a raging fire ripping through my skin and body, making me scream, for three long days that continued until finally it made my heart stop, and I was recreated."

I looked down; she'd been silent for a long time. She was looking up at me with an indecipherable expression. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing, please continue." She shook her head and quickly fixed her face with a smile.

"Alright…um…from then on I didn't have much of a choice, the burn lingered in my throat, an unbearable thirst and the only one who knew how to help was Aro, and he had destroyed me, created me, and trapped me. I had nowhere else to turn. He promised me that I would learn how to cope, learn how to master my new talents, and that the thirst would be sated. But I was and am, dangerous to him."

I felt her tense, "You're dangerous to the leader of the vampires?"

"Yes, I have never reached the full potential of my manipulative powers, I have always felt as if I was just scratching the surface of my abilities but Aro was the one who knew how to teach me and after I had mastered enough to serve his wishes, he refused to do more. I could probably turn his army against him and he knows that, which is why he made me strong enough to serve but uneducated and untrained enough to be a pawn in his game. That's why I don't hunt either."

"What does hunting have to do with anything?"

"Well, were I hunting animals, nothing. However, to hunt humans there is a certain…finesse…necessary in order to get them without arousing suspicion. If Aro had allowed me to hunt who knows what skills I might have developed while luring humans to their death. I certainly would have learned how to control them after a while."

"Ah, I see, so…if you knew all this, why didn't you leave earlier?"

"I knew all of it, but I also knew that I didn't know where to start learning, how to escape, or really have any reason to want to be on my own, I already was and I didn't have to kill to survive how I was, so why would I give that up in exchange for killing with the same loneliness?"

"Well what made you decide to now?" her question was careful.

"Simple, I now hope that I won't be so lonely." This time I grinned as I looked down at her.

She blushed again and ducked her head against my chest, "Maybe you won't be." She whispered.

My smile grew as silence surrounded us again, not even my feet making noise as I rushed through the wilderness.

Night had fallen around us just as I crossed the Canadian border. I slowed to a stop and gently set Ayanna on her feet.

"So where are we now?" She asked as she shakily stretched her stiff legs and arms.

"Just into Canada."

"Canada? I thought we were going to Alaska?"

"Indeed we are, but Canada has a bit more cover for me to run in, and so long as I stay near the border, we're on the right track."

She shook her head and shrugged, "Okay, whatever you say Adonis."

I started ripping a few branches from trees and piled them on the ground in front of me. I grabbed to smaller ones but was momentarily distracted by Ayanna.

She'd decided she needed to fully stretch out. Never had I seen a human with such dexterity. She was bent completely in half, her lean legs outlined beautifully in the dim moonlight. She straightened up and grabbed her foot, pulling it up behind her as she bent her torso parallel with the ground. Her form was steady and graceful. My eyes could not help but trace the slim curves of her hips and legs, the delicate shape of her neck as it arched down into lean shoulders, the cling of her shirt to her womanly chest and flat abdomen. But, most alluring was the shadow as it attempted to hide the flawless porcelain skin of her face, I was drawn to her lips and remembered their unbearably soft and warm touch the night before.

I dropped the stick and approached her quickly. She stood as I appeared before her, only slightly shocked. "Yes?" She asked with a small smile.

"How are your injuries?" I asked as my gazed zeroed in on her tongue as it darted out to wet the succulence of her lips.

"Well I can't bend the other knee that well, and my arm aches, but I'll survive. They aren't my main concern so far as health goes." She shrugged, but my eyes were locked on to her mouth.

My arm lifted slowly, on its own accord, and my hand cupped her warm cheek. My thumb gently caressed her cheekbone as my other hand came up to rest on her hip and I gently pulled her closer to me. Her head tilted back as she looked up at me, her breathing slightly staggered.

"Ayanna…"

"…Yes?" She breathed.

"You're beautiful…" I murmured, "I do believe I have fallen for you."

I heard her breath catch completely but saw her lips part to form a protest to my compliment, I would not allow that. I cut her off gently as I held my breath and pressed my ice cold lips to her fire hot ones. She froze and I gently pulled back, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you." My heavy heart fell.

"No…I just didn't want to push you, I thought it might help if I held still." She urgently said. Her hands lifted to rest on my chest, gently warming me with her heat, "Please…please don't stop."

I grinned and held my breath again before diving back in for a slightly more urgent but carefully gentle kiss. I slowly worked my mouth against hers as he hands came up to wrap around my neck and I clutched her delicate, breakable body against mine.

Finally I heard her breath shorten and I pulled back, allowing her to take in some air as I continued to resist taking in any of her scent.

She looked up at me as she began to breathe regularly, "you're just gonna make this difficult aren't you." She laughed softly.

"What do you mean?" I stiffened against the intake of her scent; she was still pressed against me.

"It's easy for me to think about leaving this world if I think I'm the only one who has the attachment…but kissing me like that…it's hard to trick myself into thinking this won't hurt you. It's hard to say it's okay for me to stay…" She closed her eyes and lay her head against my chest, "If you care then not only to I feel like I should cut this off, but it's harder to resign myself to the fact that this is something that I may not ever have."

My arms wrapped completely around her thin body, "I do care, and you are not allowed to leave unless you decide I am not what you want. I will find a way to beat the Volturi…then I can finally be happy in this second life, and I can find a way to keep you with me."

Warm moisture soaked through my shirt as she sniffled. "I…thank you." She whispered.

We stood there for an innumerable amount of minutes before her body suddenly shuddered in my embrace. Her hands changed from relaxed to tense as they pushed against my chest feebly. I released her immediately, confused but concerned.

"Ayanna?" I asked as she spun from me and took a few unsteady strides away from me.

Her hands were covering her mouth and she looked at one with her back turned to me, "Run Garrett, get away."

"What? I'm not-" then I smelled it as she coughed and the scent of her blood filled the air. My body locked down as she fell to her knees and coughed. I had fed the night before, but the smell of her blood was tempting me, sending my senses into an uproar. The terrible cough ripped through her again followed by more blood filling the air, but this time it stopped all desire for her blood. The smell was tainted by something that smelled sickly. I approached slowly, "Ayanna I'm not going to hurt you, I have control okay?"

She made no move that she had heard me so I circled and approached her from the front as she coughed again. This time I heard a wet quiet tearing from inside her and she doubled over as she coughed and spat up a thick blood colored mucous.

She looked up at me slowly with glazed eyes, her skin now pale and damp with sweat. She took in a short gasp of air and swayed slightly, "Sorry." She rasped before gently collapsing to the side, her eyes closed.

"Ayanna!" I shouted, panicked. I flashed to her side and picked her up, moving her to a spot beside the pile of wood and quickly set it ablaze. I turned to her and listened carefully. She was breathing, shallowly and they were rough short breaths but at least she was alive. I sat beside her head and removed my cloak as she shook violently with a shiver.

I lay it gently over her and lay my hand against her moist forehead. Even with my cold hand I could feel the fever growing.

I growled loudly, scaring off all wildlife around us. I buried my face in my hands and waited, I could not help her, and it was getting worse.

**A/n: I don't know if anyone is actually reading this…so if anyone is…could you review? That'd be great thanks.**


	13. The Cullen Coven

**A/n: Here's an update…if **_**anyone **_**is reading…**

**The Cullen Coven**

I stayed beside her unmoving in my kneeling positing for what felt like ages. I could clearly remember the sound of the flesh of her throat tearing but the flow of fresh blood had since ceased and her heart had continued to beat. Had she passed out from exhaustion? Was it the fever? Had something within her snapped and she had been forced to give into the illness, sending her into a coma?

I had no idea what to do.

If I waited she could possible not wake up and we'd sit her for ages. I could pick her up and continue to run…but what if she needed to stay still?

Finally I stood, running a frenzied hand through my hair, I carefully lifted her oh so frail body and moved it beside the bags. I turned and kicked dirt onto the spot she had coughed up her precious blood. Over and over I did this until the sweet smell was no longer burning my throat.

"Why'd you do that?" I spun instantly at the sound of her voice and was beside her in the second that followed. Whether she was too tired or simply was not surprised, she didn't flinch at my speed.

My hand swept her hair from her hot forehead, my hand icy against the fevers heat. "To mask the scent of your blood."

"W…." she paused and gathered her strength, "Won't they smell us anyway?"

"Yes, but I don't want them thinking you're bleeding."

"Why not?" She asked, "If they think you killed me…maybe they'd let us be."

I couldn't help but smile at her innocent attempt at trickery, "That won't fool them, and if we lie their hunt of us will never end."

She nodded tiredly, "Water?"

I leapt to meet her request, moments later supporting her head as I held a water bottle to her lips. Instead of drinking she took the bottle from me and stood shakily. She took a hesitant swig of water, wincing as it went down. I watched warily as she stood still for several minutes before suddenly darting to a tree. She braced her hand on the trunk and her body heaved as she emptied her stomach of the blood she had swallowed. The smell of sickness was stronger than ever as she straightened up, swishing water and spitting continuously for several long moments. Finally she turned toward me with an apologetic gaze. She kicked dirt feebly onto the mess. I moved swiftly and swept her up, setting her down by the bags as I finished the task.

"Garrett?" I looked up at her, my heart growing heavy at the sight of her clutching her pills to her chest. "I know its night time…but can you keep running?"

I studied her for a long moment, "Yes, but you need rest."

"I can sleep as you carry me…but…we need to get to that doctor you spoke of…and soon." She finished in a whisper.

Without another word of argument I packed up and threw the bags over my shoulder while she took her two pills. I gently scooped her into the cradle of my arms and took off.

"Ayanna?" I asked hesitantly as she settled into my arms, "What went wrong?"

Her eyes remained closed as she spoke quietly, "It seems that everything is determined to." A derisive chuckle slid past her lips, "Something is dead set on cutting my time with you short…had all that happened when I wasn't running from evil vampires…I would have been shipped off to the ER asap."

"Should I take you to the hospital?" I asked urgently, my feet slowly slightly.

"Not if you ever want to get me out. At this point I'd be considered terminal."

A snarl rumbled in my chest, "Why?" It ripped out angrily as I shouted at the universe.

She sighed quietly and gently lifted her arm to stroke my cheek. I looked down into her blue eyes and was nearly overwhelmed with the longing sadness that lingered in the typically bright spheres, "I don't know my Adonis…I don't know."

My arms tightened gently around her.

o0o0o0o

She stirred with the morning light many hours later.

"How are you?" I asked as she shifted in my arms.

"Cold and cramped." She grumbled, "Can I stretch and change?"

I slowed and set her down. She handed me my cloak and broke out in teeth chattering shivers. She fumbled through the bags and I turned my back. My smile was unstoppable as she muttered growls at the cold air.

"Where are we?" She asked. I turned around and grinned at her appearance. She was wearing jeans with her running shoes but it was paired with the bulkiest sweatshirt I'd ever seen and a scarf that was wrapped around her face. "I'm cold." She snapped.

My face fell, "My body will only make it worse…"

Her expression softened, "It's fine, but where are we?"

"About a five hour run from Alaska's borders, then an hour to the Cullen's from there…I think."

"You don't know?"

"It's not as if we were given their address, I'm hoping I am able to track them."

She nodded solemnly. She dug through the bags, took her pills then grabbed some food before pressing against me. "Well let's go then."

As the day wore on she unwound the scarf and her mood lifted valiantly as she tested my running abilities with teasing distractions. She had just let the scarf drop from around my eyes as we crossed into Alaska. I headed North West toward their rumored location as her hacking cough stirred in her chest again.

Her body spasmed with unyielding force and I was forced to slow to keep my grip gentle and secure

"I need water." She said when the coughing ceased. "But then keep moving." I wasted no time completing her request before I ran at a slightly slower pace. The coughing granted her some slight reprieve for the next half an hour but soon returned with a vengeance. At first I didn't paused but as the intensity grew she lifted a hand to bang feebly on my chest. I carefully set her down and almost immediately she collapsed to her knees as her body was wracked with coughs. Twice she tried to stop only to be forced to succumb to the violent shaking again. I knelt beside her helplessly as she quaked.

My urge to assist her was nearly overwhelming to me as I was suddenly surrounded by unfamiliar but telling scents. The Cullens had come to us.

Instinctively I went on defense; I placed the bags on one side of her and crouched on the other warily. Their clan emerged from the trees, closing in on us in a circle of eight.

"We saw you coming." A small black haired woman broke the silence.

"Alice?" I verified, wasting no time.

"You know of us. I presume you were a part of the guard when they came for us?" The doctor asked calmly.

"Yes." I answered honestly.

"And now you run? With a sick human as a companion?" he continued.

Ayanna's hand found my arm, her fingers attempting to tighten slightly as a wet hack tore from her shredded throat.

My desperation suddenly returned and I moved carefully as I stood and pulled her into my arms, "Please…question me all you like, kill me if you wish, but help her, please help her."

The blonde doctors face thawed and he looked at us for an unbearably long moment. He slowly glanced around at his family.

"Carlisle...she's very sick." The newest member to their coven, Bella, spoke, "she cannot harm us."

"And we can take him easy if he tries anything." Emmett chortled with what I perceived as delight.

"I won't fight!" I quickly assured, "I mean no harm at all, so long as she isn't harmed, I'll do anything." I pleaded.

"Very well." Carlisle nodded. "Emmett grab the bags, you follow me quickly."

Ayanna's cough quieted slowly but she stayed silent, her exhaustion winning against her curiosity. Her blue eyes looked up at me tiredly.

"Don't worry." I whispered.

"I trust you." She rasped back before succumbing to the pull of exhaustive sleep.

I didn't pause to admire their enormous house as I raced inside after the doctor to the makeshift exam room in the back of the house.

"We used to use this to study Renesmee's growth."

"Bella's daughter."

"Yes," he nodded, "But I have enough to help her for now. Do you know what it is?"

"HIV manifested as AIDS and a recent onset of pneumonia." I murmured as I gently placed her on the exam bed.

"Oh my…" Carlisle paused for a moment before deciding what to do.

I stayed beside her as he moved around, "Remove her sweatshirt?" He ordered.

I ignored the warm flush of her feverish skin as I slid her out of the thick clothing.

"I'm going to set her up on an IV to help replenish her system; it looks as if she's injured her leg and arm recently so I'll give her morphine for that." He said as he flashed around her body, he paused with the IV poised over her arm, "You are okay with her blood?"

I nodded miserably as he plunged the needle into her pale skin. "Her pills?" I started.

"No meds that she might be one that I'm aware of should react badly with this, the morphine will put her under and she'll be able to rest for a while." He moved to grab a blanket but I stopped him by removing my cloak and laying in over her instead. Hopefully, if she awoke it would give her some comfort that I was nearby.

"Come, we'll talk now, she'll be okay for a while." Carlisle motioned toward the door. I softly kissed her forehead and stroked her hair before heading to the gathering of vampires.

o0o0o0o

I imagined had I lived a human life that the current situation would have been similar to how it felt to ask a father's permission for his daughters hand while simultaneously being interviewed for a job.

"Are we really doing this again?" The blonde named Rosalie groaned as she glared daggers at me.

"Aunt Rose…" A woman who spoke was someone I had never seen before; I could only assume that she was the now fully grown Renesmee. Based upon the stench from the dark skinned man beside her I gathered that this was the human form of the dog she had been perched upon during her childhood confrontation with the Volturi. "Why shouldn't we help them?" She continued.

"You were family," She retorted, though in a noticeably softer tone.

"Who says they can't be? Alice and Jasper came to you from another creator and they were accepted; besides look at all those people who helped me despite not being 'family' as you put it." She shot right back.

"That's enough, we understand your point Nessie." Edward shot them both looks, "I've picked up pieces of what's going on from both you and Alice's visions, but I wish, as do the rest of us, for you to tell us what had brought you here from Italy."

I nodded slowly, running my hand through my hair in a markedly human fashion as I began to weave my tale from my creation to the day I saw Ayanna. I ignored the gasps as I told my confrontation with Heidi and later the deal I was forced to make. As I spoke of Ayanna's past I watched as Rosalie's stubborn expression faltered then fell away completely. My curiosity piqued but I continued on with my mistakes in New York and her increasing illness as I had raced us here. Finally I told them of my reasons for coming this far, "there's nothing I can really say other than we came in hope of help, so we might win this sick game and I might be able to save her."

"I only have one question." For the first time the male called Jasper spoke, "How can we know that you haven't used these powers on the girl?"

A snarl tore from my chest, "I would NEV-"

"Enough. I can see that he has not." Edward sighed again, "Carlisle?" he asked.

All eyes drifted to the man quite obviously in charge of the household decisions. "My dear…" The woman named Esme whispered as she touched his arm lightly.

He nodded as he looked down at her, "Yes, we will help." He said with sudden conviction to both her and I. "I have no cure from her illness but I can sustain her now that you are not running."

A wave of near crippling relief swept through me and I bowed gratefully, "Thank you, thank you all."

"Go back to your girl, we'll think of some strategies here." He brushed off my thanks with a wave of his hand.

I nodded and hurried back to Ayanna's side.

o0o0o0o

She awoke several hours later with a groggy look that would have been adorable in different circumstances. "Hey there." She rasped with a half-smile.

"Hello." I said, smoothing her hair for the hundredth time.

"Lighten up Adonis. We made it and I'm all hooked up meds, I feel better already." She chuckled softly.

I just traced her features with the tips of my fingers again, "You must survive the next month."

"It's already been what…five days? That means I've only gotta push for 23 more."

"Twenty six, it will take 3 days for me to change you." I corrected her, glaring to get my point across.

As I heard her breath catch I was suddenly on my feet and my hands were instantly fluttering above her, "What?"

"You're….you really wanna do that?" She grinned the most genuinely happy smile I'd seen in days.

My throat constricted and I swallowed hard as I sat back down, "If that's what you want…"

"Oh Adonis!" She exclaimed, leaning over and pressing herself awkwardly to my torso in a hug. "A second chance…a life without this sickness!"

I nodded slowly, pushing her gently back as I held my breath, "A life with me…if you desire…" I whispered hesitantly. The wide eyed look on her face sent me back tracking. "Of course I will change you anyway! You'd be free to go. I can't stand the idea of you dying; I'll change you and let you walk away so long as that means you're alive. But…there are no conditions; you don't have to worry about that at all." I mumbled rapidly as if someone had pushed the play button on my mouth. I sighed, "Forget I said any of that."

It was silent for an eternity.

"I think…" She started and then paused for another millennium, "I think I'd like to give a life with you a shot…"

My cold heart suddenly felt like nothing more than air. I leaned in and gently kissed her fragile lips and relished their warmth as the door swung open.

"Guess that answers both the questions, unless you kill people by sucking their lips off." Emmett chuckled heartily.

Ayanna, now awake and aware took a good first look at him, and squeaked in embarrassment. "Hi…" she blushed.

"Hi, to you too." He laughed even louder.

She seemed to regain her spunk quickly and I smiled at her as her questions bubbled past her lips, "So…how many of you are there? Are you really all related? Why are your eyes that color? Why is it the Volturi don't bother you?"

"Whoa there, slow down, you wanna meet us all? No problem." He leaned out the door and spoke, "Come up, she's awake."

One by one, in rapid succession the Cullen family lined the walls of the white room. Ayanna's eyes grew exponentially and she gasped. "Wow." That earned several snickers of understanding.

I gently held her hand, as much for her reassurance as mine, I had nothing other than this family's word as security and it made me nervous.

"Ayanna, I'm Bella." The brunette stepped forward and gently took her other hand, "I know how you feel. Not too many years ago, I was a human with the Volturi after me too. Things are going to be a little overwhelming but when you're better we'll answer all your questions. We're gonna help you and we all look forward to welcoming you to our circle of friends." Ayanna nodded slowly with a timid smile. Bella returned it, "This is my husband Edward, and he changed me after I gave birth to our daughter Renesmee. The only sore thumb in the room is Jake; he's not a vampire but a werewolf."

Ayanna blinked rapidly and looked carefully at the dark skinned man and the woman at his side and nodded again, "um…alright." She accepted after a significant look at me, silently demanding an explanation later.

"I'm Emmett, sorry for embarrassing you but it was too hard to resist. This is my wife Rosalie and my sister Alice and her husband, and my brother Jasper. Carlisle and Esme are like our parents." He laughed at her expression. "Don't worry, none of us are biologically related 'cept Renesme to Bella and Edward."

Again all Ayanna did was nod and glance at me. After a long moment of her looking at them she cleared her throat, "Okay…so hi, uh…I'm Ayanna. What were your questions…Emmett?"

Emmett nodded in approval, "Good memory, whether you were awake and whether he could stand being near your blood."

"Blood!" She suddenly exclaimed at the word. Everyone jumped and Carlisle looked at me in extreme disapproval.

"She does know we're…vampires, correct?" his tone was heavy.

Ayanna's scoff quickly shattered the aura of disbelief, "Uh duh, I'm not that dense. Who would run away with a stranger and without knowing why? And who would miss that he never eats? I only said blood because I suddenly remembered that he hasn't had any for days."

I couldn't resist. The return of her spirit and the knowledge that for now she was safe and comfortable allowed me to breath. I laughed. Between chuckles I spoke, "Of course I have been honest with her, and I am fine for a while, but a hunt might be a good idea in the future. I can handle her blood; the smell of the illness makes it easier." I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed it swiftly.

"We cannot allow you to hunt near here…the population is small and they would notice a death. You can run back into Canada if you are comfortable leaving her."

"Actually…" I looked at Ayanna as I answered Edward, "I'd like to try your type of hunting."

I ignored the shocked glances in my peripheral. "Very well then, we'd be delighted."

o0o0o0o

I sank my teeth into the neck of the bear ignoring the distasteful texture of the fur. As the warm blood gushed into my mouth my hands gripped the head and jerked the neck with all my strength. The struggling bear went limp and allowed me to continue my drinking. I drank my fill before I sat up and wiped my mouth on my arm, trying to swallow the unpleasant taste once and for all.

I turned to my observers, "That was…not good."

Edward nodded, "No, it takes getting used to when you're used to human blood."

I shook my head, "I hope so. The warmth is still disturbing."

"As opposed to?" Carlisle questioned.

"I've only had fresh blood one other time, and that was in New York, I was in such a bloodlust I wasn't in my right mind. Other than that I only drank the jarred blood the Volturi provided." I shrugged.

We began to walk back as the sun started to set. Carlisle was deep in thought and we traveled in silence that felt almost…companionable. For the first time I felt comfortable with my kind…they were almost…friendly.

"Did they put something in it to keep it from coagulating?" He asked.

"No idea, it smells and tastes different than fresh human blood, I could never identify what the addition was."

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. "I cannot fathom how to hide you away from them entirely…"

I sighed, "I've wondered the same thing…where on this Earth can we hide while she can stay relatively healthy but we can be undetectable? I have no idea but her health is the number one priority."

They both nodded, "We've been here before. Bella's health was in jeopardy during her pregnancy, among other stressors. I…understand…quite vividly how you feel, if it is anything close to how I felt…I will do everything to help you." Edward clasped my shoulder and I met his gaze. I nodded in gratitude and we returned to the house quickly. As the vampires of the house took up their desired activities I attended to the only thing on my mind. I spent the rest of the night with my head resting on Ayanna's sleeping stomach.

**A/n: ****Sooo…anyone out there? Anyone at all? Frankly as much as if pains me to not complete a story if nobody is reading it I'm not going to bother updating it…so if anyone is there…review please, let me know…or I guess I'll pull it…**


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